Twist of Luck
by triplehhholic
Summary: This is just a bit of fun really and sort of came out of nowhere one day when I was bored. Basically Stephanie is pretty unlucky in life but after a chance encounter on a train, could her luck be finally changing for the better? AU HHH/Steph
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Here's to you finally getting rid of that asshole!"

Stephanie raised her shot glass in the air and saluted the toast given by her best friend Libby. She tilted her head backwards and swallowed the red fiery liquid in one large gulp, wincing as the sharp tang hit the back of her throat. Her lips smacked together as she placed the empty glass back down on the polished bar with a loud thud.

"You're much better off without him, Steph. The guy was a total sleazeball."

Stephanie nodded her head in agreement and tried to ignore the empty pang she still felt in her chest at the thought of him. The pain was still too raw and fresh for her. Even today when he'd tried to make his pathetic excuses, she'd looked at him and felt that familiar rush of longing towards him. She'd really, really cared about Ben and had actually been stupid enough to think their relationship had been something special. Only it hadn't been a relationship. It had been an affair; a dirty, sleazy horrible affair. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined he was married. Though in retrospect, all the signs were there. He had asked to keep their three month relationship a secret apparently for the sake of his career. They only ever met at her place. He had never stayed the night. She'd just been too blinded by his charm to even notice or pick up on all these things. And now she just felt like a fool; a big stupid, naive fool.

"You know what you need to do. You need to get him out of your system." Libby announced shifting on her stool. She wobbled slightly and gripped the ledge of the bar to steady herself.

"Find a hunk, have the best sex of your life and you'll forget all about Benjamin Cordell." she slurred.

Stephanie snorted as her arm wildly gesticulated around the crowded bar. "Now that would be easier said than done. Have you seen some of the lowlife's in this place?"

Libby shook her head dramatically. Her loose curls bounced around on the top of her head as her small delicate finger pointed at her friend. "You know your problem, you're too damn picky. There are plenty of good looking men around here."

Libby swivelled on the seat. Her eyes eagerly scanned the room. Stephanie watched on with amusement.

"See anyone yet?" she taunted.

Libby held up her hand. "Give me a chance. I'm looking."

"You can look all you like, you know. You're never going to find anyone."

"Wait!" Libby bent forward slightly peering towards the door but within a few seconds her face fell as she groaned loudly. "Damn it, he's gay. Why are all the good looking ones attracted to men?"

Stephanie laughed as the bar tender placed another round of shots in front of them. She swore her head spun as she thanked him and picked up the miniature glass. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath.

"Steph, please tell me you're not going to puke."

Stephanie slowly opened her eyes and was relieved to find the brief dizziness was gone. She saw Libby's blue eyes staring at her anxiously. Her best friend was concerned and rightly so. It wouldn't be the first time she had gotten in a mess. She adjusted the fallen strap of her black vest top and shook her head.

"I'm not going to puke."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

She tilted her head back for a second time and downed the drink. She felt her stomach lurch in protest as she placed the empty glass down beside her. She placed her hand quickly over her watery mouth.

"You are going to be sick." cried Libby as she got down from her stool and staggered towards her friend. Stephanie shook her head as her hand fell away.

"I'm fine."

Libby lightly gripped her bare arm. "I still think you should go outside and get some fresh air."

"Actually I think I just want to go home." Stephanie whimpered swallowing thickly. She felt her head start to pound to the loud music. She picked up her purse from the bar and slid down from her stool placing her coat over her arm.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You stay here with Claire. Have a good time."

"I can't leave you on your own."

"Lib, I'll be fine. Honestly. I'll take the train and I'll go straight home."

Stephanie's eyes scoured for the third member of their group, their friend Claire to say goodbye but she couldn't see her. She was maybe in the toilet either that or she was making out with some guy somewhere. Knowing Claire, that was probably the more likely scenario.

"You'd better." warned Libby. "Call me from work tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Stephanie pulled her into a hug squeezing her tightly. She loved Libby to death and they'd been friends ever since she could remember. Lifting her hand in a wave, she pushed past the faceless bodies as she left the bar. The cool breeze outside chilled her skin causing goose bumps to appear on her arms. Stephanie quickly pulled on her thin wool coat and tied the belt. Her heels clicked loudly against the sidewalk as she made the short walk to the tube station at the end of the road side-stepping a broken glass bottle lying in her path.

Her legs felt a little wobbly and Stephanie gripped the metal hand rail for support as she made her way down the escalator. She licked her lips and she felt the buzz from the alcohol flowing through her veins. She'd lost count of how much she had consumed tonight. She just wondered why on earth she did this to herself. She knew she was destined to feel like total crap in the morning. Work was going to be total hell and she had a meeting in the morning too. Shit. She would be lucky if she was even sober by then.

Just then Stephanie arrived at her platform noticing her train was already there. She quickly jogged and caught it just as the doors began to close behind her. Lightly panting, she took the nearest available seat. Her blue eyes stared out of the window and her mind began to drift to Ben as the train pulled away. God, he would be at the meeting tomorrow. All the departments would be there and he would greet her and sit across the table from her pretending that nothing had happened between them. That's what hurt the most about the whole thing. Having to see him every day and smile and act like they were still friends when deep inside all she wanted to do was scream at him and cry.

Suddenly Stephanie felt the hot tears burn her throat and well in her eyes. She blinked them back furiously. She wasn't going to cry. Not over him. Not when she'd shed enough tears over him already. But in her drunken state, Stephanie's emotions got the better of her and the tears began to slip down her cheeks. She bent her head to conceal them and her hand covered her face as her body shook with her silent sobs. God, she felt like such a stupid idiot. How could she not have known that Ben had a wife? Ben's colleagues and friends were probably laughing at her stupidity behind her back. That's if they even knew about her. After all, she had been a secret; a horrible and embarrassing secret.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Stephanie sniffed loudly and lifted her head at the sound of the deep, smooth voice. She was met with a pair of sympathetic brown eyes that seemed to hold genuine concern for her. She wondered where this guy had come from. She couldn't recall him being in the opposite seat when she had gotten on the train. He had quite literally appeared out of nowhere.

"I couldn't help but notice you look upset." he explained.

Stephanie sniffed as she wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand feeling her head spin. "Upset? Why would I be upset? I mean just because that lowlife bastard ruined my life, it doesn't mean I'm going to wallow over his sorry ass." she replied, rambling.

She let out a shaky breath as she stared out the dirty glass window. The stars in the sky twinkled brightly for a few brief seconds before the carriage travelled through into the black tunnel.

"Guy trouble, huh?"

Stephanie looked over at the long blonde haired stranger. Her glazed over eyes looked at him drunkenly and suspiciously wondering why the hell he gave a crap. It's not like anyone else did. Well certainly not Ben anyway and she was beginning to wonder if he ever did. All she had been good for was sex and …..well, just sex really. The majority of their relationship had been spent between the sheets. She wondered if her sheets were better than the ones he had at home and that currently adorned his marriage bed.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

Stephanie blinked rapidly as her bleary eyes tried to remain focused. She licked her lips and swallowed thickly. "Not really. Do you know I found out he was married."

The stranger's eyebrows rose fractionally and his mouth smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Not on my account. The man was a grade one asshole. I'm better off without him anyway."

Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she felt her body temperature rise. She bent her knees and her high heeled boots clicked against the metal grate upon the floor.

"It's hot in here, isn't it?" she commented.

She loosened the belt on her coat and pulled the collar away from her shoulders. She puffed and blew her hair from her forehead.

"They need to invest in air conditioning for these damn things."

The stranger's low chuckle filled the empty carriage.

"Can I give you a piece of free advice?" she asked, pausing to smile at him apologetically. "Sorry, I don't actually know your name."

His amused brown eyes were warm as he smiled. "It's Paul."

"Paul, huh? I knew a Paul once." replied Stephanie and s crooked grin crossed her face. "He had carrot coloured hair and freckles. He looked nothing like you and that's a good thing for you, trust me. He had a face like a boxer dog. He was like the most ugliest guy you could ever imagine."

As Paul chuckled, Stephanie's grin widened. God, she loved that, his laugh. It was low and deep and throaty. It was like it came all the way down from the tips of his toes. Not like Ben's. His laugh was controlled and extremely polite. Pretty much like his lovemaking in fact. He had been silent and methodical in bed. He didn't scream out her name in the throes of passion but she would bet any money that Paul would. He looked the passionate type and probably knew exactly how to satisfy a woman. Stephanie felt a warm flush at that thought. She bit down on her lip thoughtfully as Libby's suggestion of good sex flashed through her mind. She quickly shook her head. She may be drunk but she wasn't easy. There was no way on earth she would just sleep with a man and especially not a stranger she had just met on the underground even if he was drop-dead gorgeous and had eyes she could totally get lost in. God, and then there was his hair. It looked so soft. She wondered what it would feel like if she allowed her fingertips to slowly brush through it…….

As Stephanie continued to stare dreamily in Paul's direction, she didn't notice that he had stopped laughing and was now looking at her curiously. It was only when he cleared his throat that she was lifted from her haze and realised what she had been doing. God, she had been staring at him. In fact she had been practically ogling him. Feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment, she rubbed her palms on her skirt and glanced out the window. She realised they had arrived at the next station. The carriage shuddered slightly as they came to a stop and she heard the sound of the automatic doors opening. She looked across to see a young couple holding hands obviously in love judging from the way they were making eyes at one another. She wrinkled her nose in disapproval and tried to ignore the slight wooziness in her head.

"So, I believe you were going to tell me something?"

Stephanie's eyes blinked a few times before they focused on Paul once more. He'd tucked his blonde hair behind his left ear and was chomping his gum, his arms folded over his chest. Christ, the man even made chewing on gum look sexy.

"You were going to give me some advice?" he reminded her.

Stephanie coughed and cleared her throat, nodding her head. "Are you married, Paul?"

He shook his head. While Stephanie silently wondered how such a good looking guy wasn't snapped up, she wagged her manicured finger in his direction.

"Well, if you ever do marry, never, and I mean never, cheat on your wife. Never ever be like Ben fucking Cordell. I didn't know, you see. I didn't know he had a wife. Because if I did know he was married, I would have never ever gone near him. I'm not a home wrecker, Paul. You believe that, don't you?"

She felt a wave of relief wash over her as Paul nodded his head. Though why she did, she wasn't sure just like she wasn't sure why she was telling him any of this. He probably thought she was a crazy psychotic chick but was just too damn polite to say anything but it felt so good to talk about it and she felt the need to get it off her chest. She was unburdening herself and okay, it was the alcohol talking. She knew that. She always did seem to spill her guts when she was drunk. In fact Libby liked to remind her of that on several occasions although this was the first time it had involved a complete stranger. She would probably regret all of this in the morning but she guessed it wouldn't really matter. She would never see this man again. And besides, he was so nice and caring and really easy to talk to.

"So, how did you find out?"

"What? That he was cheating on me?" she asked.

Paul smiled and nodded his head. Stephanie puffed out her cheeks and sighed dramatically. She tucked her hair behind her ear.

"He showed up with his wife to a corporate dinner last week. I wasn't supposed to be there but Nick, that's my boss. He couldn't make it at the last minute so he asked me to go instead. Let's just say we were both surprised when I showed up at our company's table."

"You work with the guy?"

Stephanie nodded her head sadly.

"Hell that must be awkward."

"Tell me about it." She pressed her lips together in a tight smile. "I seem to have the uncanny knack of making life difficult for myself."

Paul frowned slightly as he reached across and covered her hand with his. It felt so soft and warm and deliciously comforting to her. Stephanie breathed him in, inhaling the spicy scent of his cologne. It was intoxicating and extremely masculine just like Paul.

"I'm sure things will get better for you soon." he said encouragingly. "After all, you're young and you're beautiful. I'm sure it won't be long before this guy is kicking himself wondering why the hell he let you get away."

A slow, shy smile crept across Stephanie's face as Paul sat back in his seat. However, her smile slowly disappeared as she watched him get to his feet.

"This is my stop."

Stephanie looked out the glass and noticed they were pulling into the next station. She sighed. She had another two stops to go but she just wanted home now. Her eyes were tired and heavy. Her head still felt woozy. She just wanted to sleep.

"You will take care going home now, won't you?"

She glanced up at Paul and smiled. His brown eyes were soft and concerned. She was touched by his words. "I'll be fine. I live just across the road from the station on Brook Street."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. His big hand gripped the metal pole at the end of the seat as the carriage grinded to a halt. "It was nice meeting you, uh….."

His voice trailed away. He looked at her quizzically and Stephanie smiled.

"My name is Stephanie."

Paul smiled back making the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Then it was nice meeting you, Stephanie."

"You too, Paul."

She was about to apologise for her drunken ranting when the automatic doors hissed and slid open. Paul stepped away from the pole and lifted his big hand in a wave.

"Maybe I'll see you again some day."

"Maybe." she replied. Her blue eyes stared after him wistfully as his large frame exited the carriage. She only looked away and settled back in her seat once the doors were closed and he was out of sight.

The train slowly pulled away and she began to chew on her fingernail as she thought about him. Paul. Her tall, blonde and extremely handsome stranger. She wondered what his answer would have been had she been bold enough to suggest spending the night together. She chuckled to herself. Maybe if she ever did run into him, she could always ask him and find out although the chances were she'd never see him again. It wasn't the way her life worked and she just wasn't that lucky.

Sighing, Stephanie wearily leant back in her seat crossing her arms over her chest. As she rested her head against the glass, she continued to think of Paul. Even though their meeting had been brief, she had a feeling he was going to be on her mind for quite a while. There was no way she would forget her handsome stranger in a hurry. She would remember him happily and fondly. After all he'd been a lovely breath of fresh air in her otherwise dull and crappy life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Stephanie sighed wearily as the escalator carried herself and her best friend Claire to the third floor. She absently glanced in the direction of the huge glass wall but quickly turned away as she saw her pale and sickly complexion. She felt and obviously looked like hell but then again, it came as no surprise. She'd been on a mission, downing those shooters like a mad woman last night and now she was paying the price. A litre of water and three aspirin hadn't helped her pounding headache and her cup of morning coffee had literally turned her stomach. Work was the last place on earth she wanted to be today which is why she had been more than grateful to see Claire appear in her office and lure her away with the distraction of shopping. If a glimpse of the latest fashions didn't lift her spirits, absolutely nothing would.

Absently licking her lips, Stephanie tucked her hair behind her ear as she got off the elevator. She smoothed down her black skirt and flashed a smile of brief acknowledgment towards the clothing assistant standing by a display of dresses.

"By the way, did I lend you my Prada sweater?" Claire asked, her eyes narrowing in her friend's direction.

There was a momentary silence before Stephanie slowly shook her head. "No."

"Damn. I wanted to wear it on my date with Pete at the weekend. I guess I'll have to try and find something else."

Stephanie's nose wrinkled in curiosity wondering who Pete was and made a mental note to remember about the white sweater. It was still stuffed in her drawer at work, her guilty secret after she had spilt red wine all over it a week ago thanks to Libby. She had decided to dance on the table tops instead of the dance floor and of course had encouraged her to do the same. She was waiting until she had a chance to try and find another sweater to replace it not to mention the money to replace it with.

"The dress I spotted is down the other aisle, Steph. That's if they even have it in my size. They didn't yesterday. Where was yours?"

Stephanie pointed to the black dress on the rail just behind her and Claire nodded.

"Well seeing we're tight for time, do you want to grab yours and I'll see if I can get mine?"

"Sure." Stephanie agreed and smiled as Claire rushed off in the opposite direction. She sorted through the dresses until she found her size. She'd already tried it on and Libby and Claire had both given their seal of approval. Of course, she hadn't bought it straight away. It was an extravagant purchase by her standards but the minute she had tried it on she knew she had to have it. It fitted her perfectly. It was like the dress had been made for her.

Placing the dress carefully over her arm, Stephanie wandered across to the lingerie section. This was another one of her many weaknesses. She loved nice lingerie only of the tasteful variety of course. In fact she had spent hundreds of dollars on the stuff especially over the last few months in an attempt to entice Ben. Of course, he hadn't given two hoots what lingerie she wore. He just whisked it off and methodically began having sex with her. Stephanie quickly shook her head ridding herself of all memories of Ben. She wasn't going to think about him. She had promised herself and Libby she wasn't going to spend another minute dwelling over the bastard.

Stephanie flicked her hair in a silent resolve as she picked up the black silk two piece set. A small smile crossed her face as she examined it. It certainly didn't leave much to the imagination but at least it would ensure no visible lines underneath her dress. And of course that was the only reason she was buying it. It certainly wasn't because she was looking to get lucky. One, she didn't do one night stands and two she was sworn off men for good. She'd made that decision this morning as she rinsed the soapy shampoo suds from her hair.

"So it looks like we meet again."

Stephanie's breath caught her in throat, feeling slightly startled as she recognised the deep, not to mention knee weakening voice behind her. She swallowed thickly as she slowly turned around towards him. Her handsome stranger! Paul! She would never forget that name. Stephanie saw the familiar blonde hair that rested softly against his shoulders and noticed he was wearing a black shirt and suit that looked ridiculously expensive and nothing like the faded denim jeans he wore last night. The grey tie sitting neatly around his thick neck was definitely made of silk and as he pushed back his hair with his dark glasses, she saw the same twinkle in his deep brown eyes which crinkled in the corners. God, he was even sexier than she remembered. And that smile. She was trying to ignore the overwhelming urge she had to grin like an idiot at him. Instead she pressed her lips in a tight, controlled smile.

"Hello."

"Hey." His eyes fell on the black garments currently draped across her arm. His big hand gestured towards them. "You're shopping?"

Stephanie glanced down at the skimpy lingerie in her hand and immediately felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She nodded her head in response as she folded the dress across hiding the underwear from view. She had revealed enough about herself to Paul last night. The last thing she needed was to reveal her taste in undergarments too.

"I guess it's better than spending the day stuck at work."

"Yeah well unfortunately I am. Stuck at work, I mean."

She mentally kicked herself as she saw Paul's eyebrows rise inquisitively at her comment.

"It's our lunch break." Stephanie lied, trying her best to explain herself. Paul already thought she was a crazy woman. The last thing she needed was to add slacker to the list. Although she didn't know why it mattered what he thought of her. She'd only met him twice. In the last twelve hours. That didn't mean anything. It absolutely didn't. After all, she didn't believe in fate and all that mumbo jumbo destiny stuff. Not really.

But all thoughts of fate and destiny quickly left her mind as she saw the slow captivating grin that crossed Paul's face. He lifted his left arm and checked the gold watch on his wrist. Stephanie couldn't help but notice it looked ridiculously expensive too.

"You eat lunch at ten o'clock in the morning?" he asked.

She cleared her throat, sniffing indignantly thinking he didn't have to look so damn amused by her inability to remember what time it was. Anyway, how was she meant to think straight with him grinning like that? She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to think about how hot it had suddenly become in the store.

"It's an early lunch." she mumbled.

"So I can see." he replied, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement.

Stephanie gave him an awkward smile. She quickly glanced over his shoulder searching frantically for Claire. She needed to get out of here before she embarrassed herself in front of him any further. And before she was tempted to bury her face in his neck and get lost in his incredible scent. Christ, he smelled good.

"Steph, I found it. I found the dress in my size."

Stephanie spun round on her heel. She saw Claire racing towards her with a huge grin plastered across her face as she waved the blue garment in the air. She also saw the inquisitive glance her friend threw Paul's way and her flirtatious smile as she nodded her head, acknowledging him.

"Why hello there."

"Hello."

Claire switched the dress to her left hand and offered her right one to Paul. "I'm Claire, Stephanie's friend. We work together." She grinned at Paul as he shook her hand. "I would have let Stephanie introduce us but we would have probably been waiting forever. Poor thing. Her manners aren't the best at times."

Stephanie threw Claire a less than amused glare. Paul chuckled as he removed his hand dropping it by his side.

"Well Claire, it's nice to meet you. I'm Paul."

Claire's eyes were wide with approval as she looked across at Stephanie. Stephanie felt like rolling her eyes. There wasn't a man alive that Claire didn't find attractive. She'd slept with Gary in the technical department and he was a total geek. Paul was a God in comparison. Then again, Paul was a God period.

"We really should be getting back."

"Your lunch hour almost over?" teased Paul.

"Lunch?" asked Claire glancing at Stephanie curiously, completely unaware of their earlier conversation. "Who the hell has lunch at ten o'clock in the morning?"

Stephanie gritted her teeth as she pretended to smile at Claire. Claire was oblivious as she smiled sweetly at Paul.

"See, Steph and I have this thing we do when either of us are bored or pissed off at work. I go into her office and ask her if she could check over an account. That's our code for get me out of here. We came here today because we needed an outfit for a party next weekend. We usually go to a cute little coffee house across the road. They have the best muffins there, by the way. You should check it out some time."

As Paul's deep laughter sent a tingle down her spine, Stephanie glared desperately at her friend trying her best to tell her to shut the hell up. She had embarrassed herself enough in front of Paul in the twelve hours since she had met him. She didn't need her friend to add to it. She grabbed her elbow and yanked on it.

"Claire, we really have to go now."

Claire threw her friend a curious glance. "Okay, okay. No need to pull my arm out of the socket. I get the picture." She turned her head and once again, smiled sweetly at Paul. "It was good to meet you."

"And you." The expression on his face softened as he looked towards Stephanie. "And it was a nice surprise running into you again so soon, Stephanie."

Stephanie nodded her head. A lop sided smile crossed her face. "Yes, it was."

"How do you two know one another anyway?"

Stephanie cursed her friend's need to ask that question. As her eyes connected briefly with Paul's, she felt her cheeks burn. She inwardly cringed as she recalled her drunken rambling.

"We met on the train." replied Paul as he glanced again at his watch. "Sorry ladies but I've got to go. I've got a meeting in half an hour and I still haven't got my mother a birthday present. She'll kill me if I don't get the silk scarf she's been harping on about for weeks. That's if I can even find the damn thing."

Stephanie smiled. "Silk scarves are on the next floor. They're beside the woollen coats. Just go to the end of this aisle and take the escalator."

He smiled back gratefully. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

As Paul disappeared among the group of shoppers heading towards the escalators, Stephanie stood still staring after him. She didn't even feel the irate shopper who barged her way past knocking against her shoulder. Claire had noticed though and threw the shopper a furious look. As she turned towards Stephanie, she smiled knowingly at the dreamy look on her friend's face. "You like him, don't you?"

"What?" Stephanie blinked as Claire's voice interrupted her thoughts. She fixed the dress in her arms picking up the material that dragged on the dusty floor.

"I said you like Paul."

"Don't be ridiculous!" snorted Stephanie as she made her way across to the cash register. She tried not to look in Claire's direction. She didn't want to see the smug look she knew would be slapped across her face. Thankfully, she remained quiet as they paid for their purchases. Stephanie tried not to fret over the damage that the two hundred and fifty dollar dress and lingerie had done to her credit card. She was sailing dangerously close to her limit as it was. Another couple of purchases like those and she'd be eating beans for weeks.

It wasn't until they were rushing along the sidewalk heading back to the office that Claire broke the silence. Her brown eyes looked inquisitively as she playfully nudged her friend. "He was pretty hot, wasn't he?"

"Who?" asked Stephanie pretending to plead ignorance. Her stomach was still fluttering after her second meeting with him.

"Don't who me, Stephanie Marie. You know fine well who I was talking about."

"Paul?"

Claire adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Yes, Paul. I didn't see any other hot looking guys this morning, did you?"

"No. Not really." The girls forgot to check the traffic as they quickly crossing the street. The cab honked its horn as it drove past them, narrowly missing them. Claire showed no hesitation in flipping him off.

"So, you didn't answer my question." They side stepped an old lady pushing her shopping bag behind her. "Do you think he's hot or not?"

Stephanie pretended to shrug non-chalantly. "He was alright."

"Alright?! Alright?! Steph, the man was fucking gorgeous. Are you blind?"

Stephanie felt a flush coming to her cheeks as she remembered just exactly how gorgeous Paul was. Everything from his deep brown eyes to his exceptionally large hands just oozed total sexiness to her. And his smile….. It was just a shame she would never see it again. There was no way Lady Luck would shine down on her a third time and let her run into him again that was for sure.

Stephanie pulled open the heavy double glass doors to the offices. She felt Claire's hand on her shoulder stopping her from ascending the large staircase.

"When did you meet him anyway?"

Just then Stephanie noticed Ben talking with a member of staff from personnel. She tried to ignore the pang in her chest as she turned her attention to Claire. "Last night. Listen, we don't have time for this. I've got a meeting in half an hour." Her high heeled shoes clicked against the stairs. As she looked up she noticed with relief that Ben was gone.

"Don't think you're getting away with this, Steph. I want full details on your meeting with Paul. Tonight."

Stephanie stopped at the top of the stairs. She turned to her friend and sighed. "I guess I've got no choice have I?"

"No." Claire grinned widely as she held out her hand. "Give me your bag. I'll hide it under my desk."

Stephanie smiled at her gratefully. Mandy the Mouth would take great joy in pointing out the Bloomingdale's bag in her hand. She was a spiteful bitch with her eye firmly planted on her Executive Assistant job. It also didn't help that she was tight with Nick, the head of the department. She went running to him about every damn thing. She swore she took count of the number of cups of coffee everyone consumed in a day and how many toilet breaks were taken. "See you in the foyer at five?" she asked Claire.

"Sure. I'll call Libby and tell her to meet us at Denny's."

As Stephanie lifted her hand in a wave, she turned left into the Marketing department. She hung her coat on the rack and noticed the hectic atmosphere in the office. People were chatting excitedly. Papers were being shuffled. She even noticed Violet spray her neck with perfume. She frowned. Something was obviously going on around here. What the hell had she missed in the half hour she had been away? She glanced curiously around her as she wandered across to her desk switching on her computer as she sat down.

"Where have you been?"

Stephanie looked up to see Mandy at the edge of her cubicle. She tried to ignore the snippy bitchy tone to her voice and forced a smile in her direction. "Claire and I had to crunch some numbers."

"Well you missed the gossip."

Stephanie picked up the pen on her desk. She leaned back in her seat as she flipped it between her fingers. She wasn't surprised Mandy was the first in line to tell her about any sort of gossip. She was practically bursting at the thought of revealing all to her. Her cheeks were puffed out and red.

"We're getting a new MD."

Stephanie raised her brow inquisitively. So it looked like the rumours were true. Bill Bryce had outstayed his welcome at the company. Of course, his affair with the twenty year old secretary and impregnating her hadn't done him any favours. Being fifty nine years old and married, people obviously expected better behaviour from their Marketing Director. She had no doubt that a big fat severance pay had obviously softened the blow for him though.

"We're all gathering in the meeting room now. Nick is going to introduce him in a few minutes. It's just as well you are back. You would have missed it."

Stephanie pushed back her chair and got to her feet. She made a face at Mandy as she followed her to the meeting room and tried not to choke on the smell of Violet's perfume as she passed her desk. She must have sprayed the entire damn bottle.

As she took her seat at the far side of the table, she noticed everyone anxiously watching the door. It had been a long time since there had been a new member of staff in the office. Mandy had been the last and she had arrived almost two years ago. People were obviously feeling quite elated by the news especially when a lot of them couldn't stand the sight of Bill. He'd been abrupt and extremely sharp to a lot of the staff, Stephanie included. But she had just brushed it off. There wasn't any reason to take it personally. It had just been Bill.

As she bent down to jot her shopping list on the small notepad she had brought in front of her, she heard Nick's voice from the top of the table.

"It looks like everyone is here. In that case, I'd like you to introduce you to the new Marketing Director of our company. I'm sure you'll all join me in welcoming Paul Levesque."

Stephanie placed down her pen and shook her head in amusement. As the sound of scraping chairs filled the room, she slowly got to her feet and glanced down at her baby pink sweater picking at a loose thread. It seemed the name Paul was like a bus. There are none in your life and then two come along at once. Although she was pretty damn sure this Paul would be nothing like her tall and handsome stranger. He was definitely unique and one of a kind.

A group of people parted just as Stephanie glanced up. She looked over in fascination at the man standing beside Nick and her breath hitched in her throat as she recognised him. He was standing with his back to her but she knew exactly who he was. His long blonde hair and broad back gave the game away. She swallowed thickly. It was him. It was her handsome stranger. Only now, he wasn't a stranger to her. He was her boss and her employer. And fuck, she had told him all about Ben.

Just then Paul turned his head as Nick introduced him to Mandy. Stephanie's heart thumped in her chest as he flashed her that smile, that same smile that had rendered her weak at her knees. Only it couldn't make her weak at the knees any longer. Not if she wanted to keep her job and a roof over her head.

Stephanie felt herself freeze to the spot as Paul eventually glanced her way. She saw the surprise flash across his eyes and he raised his eyebrows. Fuck, this is awkward. Especially now he was making his way towards her with Nick. Stephanie felt her face flush hot with embarrassment as he walked to stand in front of her. She tried not to think about their meeting at the mall and couldn't help but notice that his incredible brown eyes were gentle as Nick introduced her.

"Paul, this is Stephanie McMahon. She's our Executive Marketing Assistant."

Paul smiled at her as he held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you Stephanie."

She took his outstretched hand and her heart skipped a beat as he winked at her. She swore he did. Then again, it had been so brief. Perhaps she had imagined it. God, his hand felt so soft and warm in hers. She'd never felt a man's hand as soft as that and he still smelled amazing. She still had the uncontrollable urge to bury her face in his neck.

"Stephanie, maybe you could let go of Paul's hand now."

Realising she was still gripping his fingers loosely, Stephanie flushed with embarrassment as she quickly dropped Paul's hand. She silently cursed Nick as she heard his low chuckle. She hadn't realised she had held onto his hand for so long. Paul was really going to think she was an idiot and a moron; the very same moron that could very well be out of a job tomorrow. Claire had spilled the beans. He knew about their code and how they sneaked out of the office. Her parents had been right when they had told her to never ever talk to a stranger. She would never ever tell a stranger anything again. But as Paul wandered across to where Nick was standing with Violet, she realised that advice was just a little too late. Fate had well and truly bit her in the ass. She was doomed. Utterly and totally doomed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Well I think he is absolutely gorgeous."

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she chewed on the lid of her pen. She tried to ignore her work colleagues who had done nothing but sit and gush over their new Graphic Design slash Marketing Director since the introductions had ended. Honestly it was pathetic. Who cared if he had eyes that made you melt or a smile that could make your knees tremble? She absolutely didn't. After all she was a professional in every sense of the word. She cared about her job not some hot man who now just happened to be her boss and could very well fire her ass if she didn't come up with this damn slogan by five o'clock today.

Groaning in despair, Stephanie rested her elbow on the desk and placed her chin in her hand. She sighed heavily as she stared at the image on the computer screen. How the hell was she meant to get inspiration for a pair of white running shoes? She hadn't worn a pair in God knows how long and the only exercise she ever partook in was to chase after the train in attempt to make it to work on time. She absently wondered if Paul ran. He definitely worked out. There was no way a physique like his was natural. His shoulders were massive and then there were his arms. She'd never seen a man with such strong arms before. Not in real life.

Stephanie shook her head ridding it of any of those thoughts. She couldn't think about Paul. She refused to. Instead she was going to focus all her attention on the running shoes. The guy who was wearing them in the ad wasn't bad either. He wasn't her type but he looked good in his tight, skimpy running shorts. But she could bet their new boss would look even better. His thighs were probably the size of tree trunks. She could imagine they would be firm and really smooth too.

Pushing that image from her mind, Stephanie quickly sat up straight in her chair and threw down her pen on the desk. She tucked her hair behind her ears. She had to stop this right now and she needed to concentrate on the task in hand. The clock was ticking. She had to think running shoes. She had to try and focus. But first she would get herself some coffee to help perk up. Her hangover was still lingering. She felt lethargic and drained and she was in desperate need of a caffeine boost.

Stephanie pushed back her chair and stepped out of her cubicle. She could still smell Violet's perfume. It was pungent. She heard a ripple of laughter behind her as she made her way to the coffee machine. Maybe she would have some chocolate too. She had a Snickers bar safely tucked in the back of her drawer which she kept for emergencies and today was definitely an emergency. She pressed the button for the coffee. She stood back and watched the hot black liquid pour into the Styrofoam cup. She heard a few hushed whispers behind her and then a loud cough. She noticed a mark on the cuff of her jacket and she absently rubbed at it.

"Nick, I've distributed that e-mail for you."

Stephanie rolled her eyes dryly at the sound of her voice. Mandy was such a suck-up not to mention a pain in the ass. She was probably making a note of the fact she was at the coffee machine for the fifth time today. It was probably scribbled on her notebook in huge capital letters. STEPHANIE HAD COFFEE. AGAIN. Maybe she would chain-drink the stuff for the rest of the day. That would give her something to write down. The stupid bitch would have a damn field day.

"Thank you Mandy."

Stephanie picked up her coffee cup from the machine. She turned around and blew on it in an attempt to cool the drink down. She'd already scalded her mouth once today. Her tongue still hadn't recovered.

"Stephanie."

She looked up to see Nick standing in front of her. He was shuffling some papers in his hand. His glasses were pushed up and rested across his forehead. She wondered why he did that. He looked retarded.

"How's the slogan coming along?"

Stephanie thought of the blank space below the image on her computer screen. She forced her best smile and lied through her teeth. "I've come up with a few ideas."

Nick nodded. He glanced at the papers distractedly. "Good. Good." He looked up and smiled at her as he raked his fingers through his short messy curls. "This is one of our major accounts. I don't need to tell you how important it is that we get this one right."

Stephanie inwardly sighed as he turned and walked away. No pressure then. Christ. She took a sip from her coffee just as Nick spun back round.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Paul would like to see you in his office."

Stephanie spluttered and coffee dribbled down her chin as Nick disappeared behind his cubicle. She lifted her hand and wiped it away. She tried to ignore the churning in her stomach. Paul wanted to see her. Shit. He hadn't wanted to see anyone else so far which meant he had totally singled her out. She wondered why.

Pondering over that thought nervously, Stephanie slowly walked towards her desk, her coffee clutched in her hand. She chewed on her lip as she remembered their encounter in the department store. Fuck. Paul knew all about her secret code with Claire. Maybe he was going to fire her for it and make an example out of her. What the hell was she going to do if he did? She loved her job. She would hate to lose it.

Her feet shuffled slowly along the worn carpet. She could feel Mandy watching her as she passed by her desk. Stephanie ignored her as she placed her coffee down beside the plant on top of her small filing cabinet. Bitch. She could probably smell the scent of her blood. No doubt she would take great delight in replacing her. She was probably rearranging her desk space right now and trying to work out where to put her fat ass.

Stephanie bent down and picked up her leather handbag. She rummaged in it and retrieved her lip gloss. She quickly applied it. If she was going to get sacked, she was damn well going to look her best.

"Are you still here?"

Nick's voice startled her. The lip gloss tube fell from her hand and clattered onto the desk.

"Forget the damn makeup, Stephanie. Get your ass to his office."

The heat rose to her cheeks as she quickly brushed past him. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she disappeared along the small corridor. She cursed Nick under her breath as her stomach twisted in knots. He really was a bastard. He took far too much pleasure in embarrassing her. No doubt Mandy was grinning smugly from ear to ear.

But her embarrassment quickly disappeared and her footsteps slowed down as she approached the wooden door looming in front of her. She let out a shaky breath as she adjusted her jacket. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her stomach was still churning. As she lifted her hand to knock she noticed it was trembling slightly. Maybe this was how it felt before you got executed. Not that she actually knew of anyone who had been executed. But if she did, she would have a lot of more sympathy towards them. This was absolute torture and the most horrible feeling ever.

Stephanie had just prepared herself to knock when the door opened. She almost jumped out of her skin as she came face to face with Paul. Her blue eyes went wide as he flashed her one of those dazzling smiles of his. She swallowed thickly and tried her best to remain calm and composed. He still smelled absolutely amazing. Shit, he still looked amazing too. His suit jacket was off and the top button was undone on his shirt. His ridiculously expensive tie had been loosened around his neck. And she loved his hair pushed behind his ears like that. Maybe she would send him a memo and tell him it was compulsory he wore it that way. Maybe she could also add that he had to be naked too.

Feeling her pulse race at that thought, she mentally chastised herself. This train of thought wasn't helping her at all. She needed to remind herself that Paul was her boss. Then again, he might not be for very much longer. He was probably about to tell her to clear her desk. That practically now made him the enemy.

She coughed lightly and her lips upturned into a small smile. "Nick told me you wanted to see me."

Paul nodded and stood aside. "Come in."

Stephanie walked into the large office. The bright sunlight shone through the glass window. It was open and she could hear the sound of the traffic in the busy streets below. She noticed the room looked bare now Bill was gone. That would probably change once Paul got settled in although he certainly wasn't taking things easy on his first day. She couldn't see his desk for files and paper.

"Take a seat."

Stephanie sat down in the small padded chair in front of the desk. She clutched her hands together and sat them on her lap. She noticed her leg was jiggling nervously. She stopped and hoped Paul hadn't noticed. He'd sat down in the seat behind his desk. His thick forearms rested on top of the mound of paper. He gave her yet another one of those smiles. She felt the corners of her mouth turn upwards and she bit down on her lip to stop them. The guy thought she was crazy as it is. The last thing she needed was to grin at him like a loony.

"So, we meet yet again."

Stephanie nodded her head. She saw the twinkle in his deep brown eyes. He was clearly amused by the whole thing. Shame she didn't feel the same way. Fate had conspired against her. Her handsome stranger was no longer some romantic saviour who would sweep her off her feet. He was a man who could very well kick her ass out of the door. Fuck. And to think she could have taken Libby's advice and propositioned him for some mind blowing sex last night. That would have made things even more awkward than they already were. Thank God that for once in her life she'd had enough sense and not enough alcohol to have some morals.

"Thank you for pointing me in the right direction by the way."

Stephanie tilted her head and stared at him in confusion. Paul smiled again.

"The scarves. I managed to get one for my mom."

She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. "Good. I'm glad."

Paul picked up a pen and leant back in his chair. He began to flip it between his fingers. She couldn't help but notice how thick they were.

"I take it your shopping trip was successful."

Stephanie froze. She quickly glanced away anxiously. Here it was. This was probably the moment she got her marching orders. She swallowed hard bracing herself. She could feel her palms sweating too. She rubbed them on her skirt and slowly looked back up. Paul was still smiling and it confused her. Wasn't he supposed to look a little bit angry or pissed off? Then again, he was probably taking great delight in having caught her red handed. Shit. The bastard had seen her new underwear too. Maybe if she offered to model it for him, she could persuade him to change his mind. A peep show for not being made homeless seemed like a small price to pay right now.

"You did get something to wear for your party, didn't you?"

Stephanie let out a sigh. If he wanted to drag this out, she wasn't in the mood. She just wanted to get it over with and drown her sorrows with the bottle of wine in her refrigerator. She sat forward in her seat. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Look, why don't you just say what you want to say then I can leave."

Paul raised his eye brows fractionally. He stopped fiddling with his pen and looked at her curiously. "And what is it you think I want to say?"

Stephanie sighed again. She heard a car honk its horn outside. She noticed the sunlight reflect on Paul's hair. It looked so shiny. She bet it felt really soft too. Not that she cared. She didn't. She licked her lips. "Well, you obviously brought me in here to fire me so why don't you just get it over with."

Paul scrunched his nose in confusion. "What the hell made you think I wanted to fire you?"

This time it was Stephanie's turn to look confused. Her blue eyes scanned Paul's face. "Bloomingdales. I did sneak out of work to go shopping for a party."

He threw down his pen on the desk and leant forward in his seat. "Why would I fire you for that?" He clasped his hands together in front of him and grinned. "After all, it was your lunch hour." He chuckled lightly and his eyes crinkled at the corners.

Stephanie shook her head. This time she didn't stop the slow grin from spreading across her face. "Yeah. Very funny. I'm glad you find my stupidity so amusing."

"Actually I used to do the same thing myself."

Stephanie looked at him surprised.

"I used to work with this guy called Jack back in the days when I was a junior assistant and learning the ropes." he began to explain. "Every Friday afternoon, there would be a board meeting in our office. All the managers and directors attended. Anyway, we would decide to take advantage of the situation and go for a beer or two. I would call Jack and make up some phoney excuse about an account. We'd disappear for a couple of hours and make it back just before the meeting ended." Paul paused for a second then smiled. "In fact, we thought we were so clever we even invented a name for the account. It was the Adams file."

"And let me guess. His first name was Sam." replied Stephanie, smiling.

Paul laughed. "It was that obvious, huh?"

"Maybe just a little." she smiled as she felt herself begin to relax in his company. "It's probably as obvious as having lunch at ten in the morning."

"Yeah. That did kind of give the game away." he said, smirking.

Stephanie grinned and crossed her long legs in front of her. She watched him pick up the pen again and settle back in his chair. He began to flip it once again. It was obviously a habit of his and she found it cute. His brown eyes looked at her but she couldn't read his expression. It reminded her that he was a stranger. A man that up until last night she never even knew existed.

"I have to admit I got a shock when I saw you in the boardroom this morning."

Stephanie pressed her lips together in a small smile. "You weren't the only one."

"I mean, I did wonder if our paths might ever cross again but I certainly didn't expect this."

Stephanie nodded calmly on the outside while inside, her heart skipped a beat at Paul's admission. He had been wondering about her. That was practically telling her he had been thinking about her. That she had been on his mind. He sure as hell had been on hers, skimpy running shorts and all. She cleared her throat and mentally scolded herself. Now was not the time to be picturing him in that way. But sweet Jesus she bet he would look good.

"It's not awkward for you, is it?"

Paul's voice dragged her attention back to their conversation. She quickly shook her head. "Of course not." And it wasn't. Not really. After all, he wasn't going to fire her. She had no reason to feel awkward about him. Well other than the fact she had embarrassed herself with some very drunk rambling. Fuck. She'd told him all about Ben though. Hopefully there was a chance Paul had forgotten his name. After all, she had talked a lot of nonsense. The guy had probably switched off through

boredom. After all, who really listened to drunken crazed lunatics?

"Good. That's why I asked you to come and see me. I just wanted to make sure." said Paul.

Stephanie smiled. "Nope. There's no awkwardness. None at all." She twiddled her thumbs together. She wondered if he could tell she was lying through her teeth. She could still remember the glint in his eye when he had noticed the lingerie. At least she had been spared the indignity of having to bribe him with it.

Paul smiled as he pushed back his chair. "In that case, I'll let you get back to work"

Stephanie smiled as she stood up. Her hands straightened her black suit jacket. She watched as Paul walked around his desk and opened the door for her. It looked like the guy was also a gentleman. He was definitely too good to be true.

"I'll see you at the meeting at five?" Paul asked as she walked past him.

Stephanie nodded and mentally worked out the seating plan as she heard the door close behind her and she walked back down the corridor. Maybe she could get there early and ensure she sat beside him. Christ, she really was becoming pathetic. She sat back down at her desk and ignored the inquisitive looks thrown her way. She could picture Mandy's face now. Her little piggy eyes would be popping out of her head. She clicked to clear the screensaver then suddenly she remembered. Her blue eyes widened. Ben would be at the same meeting this afternoon. Shit. Why the hell had she opened her mouth to a stranger and why didn't Paul just ignore her tears last night. She would just have to pray that somehow Paul didn't remember his name. Otherwise things would really get awkward. That's if they weren't awkward enough already.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stephanie glanced at the large clock on the wall. The big hand was taunting her as it moved nearer the twelve. It was almost five o'clock and time for the meeting. She stood up and peered over the top of her cubicle. She could see Nick hovering by the coffee machine. She wondered if Mandy was writing that one down. Then again, Stephanie was surprised she hadn't offered to get Nick his coffee personally. God knows, she tried to do everything else for him. She was surprised he even got to go to the bathroom alone. Stephanie sat back down and quickly sent the text message. She'd forgotten about the meeting when she had made her plans with Libby and Claire. She would catch up with them later. Maybe she could persuade them to take advantage of Happy Hour at the new bar down town. She hoped so. She had a feeling she might be in need of a few large stiff drinks. No doubt they would too once she told them what had happened today.

"Goodnight Steph."

Stephanie lifted her head and waved at Violet as she passed her desk. "Goodnight Violet. Have a nice weekend."

She reached across and grabbed the bundle of paper from the printer. She quickly looked through the sheets making sure she had everything she needed. She'd finally managed to come up with a slogan although how she did it, was beyond her. The copious amounts of caffeine and the chocolate bar all but managed to keep her from falling asleep. She lifted her hand and rubbed wearily at her forehead. She was so tired. She'd had too many sleepless nights this week stupidly spent crying over her bastard of an ex.

"Stephanie, the meeting is about to start."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at Mandy's voice. She picked up her stuff and still glancing through the papers in her hand, she slowly made her way to the boardroom. She didn't see him in front of her. She didn't even notice him until she had practically bumped into him. Her heart pounded as she breathed in his heady scent.

"Hello Steph."

Stephanie swallowed thickly and slowly raised her eyes. As she met his familiar blue ones she felt a rush of regret. She didn't know why. It was over. She knew that. Just like she knew she had wasted too many tears on the cheating bastard. But still, she had cared for him. Too much for her own good if she was honest. He'd lavished her with the attention she had craved and he had swept her off her feet.

"How are you?"

Stephanie scowled. She felt all her hurt and her anger bubble to the surface. "What the hell do you care?"

She hugged her papers to her chest protectively. Ben reached out. His hand rested on her arm. Stephanie tried not to laugh at the irony of the situation. He'd practically ignored her in the office the three months they were together. His excuse was that he didn't want to raise anybody's suspicions. After all, he was the head of the finance department. He had a reputation to maintain. But obviously, his reputation didn't matter now she wasn't some dirty secret he was trying to hide.

"Of course I care. You know I do."

As he stared into her eyes, she found herself getting lost in them for a second. His hand still gripped her arm firmly. She noticed he looked tired. He also hadn't shaved. Light stubble covered his chin.

"I miss you, Steph."

The words had barely registered in her mind when she felt him quickly pull away and cough awkwardly.

"I'll discuss that account with you tomorrow." He then flashed a smile at someone across her shoulder and nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Stephanie turned her head to the side just in time to see Paul walk into the boardroom. She grimaced and silently cursed.

Ben looked at her awkwardly as he shifted his feet. "I take it he is the new head of department?"

Stephanie nodded and clutched her papers even closer.

"Look, about what I just said………."

She shook her head and stepped back from him. "Forget it. We'd better get to the meeting."

Stephanie didn't look at anyone as she entered the board room. She took the nearest available chair and placed down her papers. When she did allow herself to glance quickly around, she saw she was thankfully sitting at the opposite end of the table from Ben. He was right next to Mandy. She almost smiled knowing it served the bastard right. As her eyes travelled further around the table, she saw him. He was right at the top of the table and he was watching her. She could feel her stomach churn weirdly. Paul's tie had been loosened even further. His black shirt sleeves had been rolled up. Once again, the expression on his face was a mystery before he smiled at her briefly before turning his attention to Nick.

Stephanie glanced back down at her notebook. She picked up her pen and absently began to doodle on the paper. She tried to take her mind off the fact that Paul had seen her with Ben. Of course, there was every chance he didn't know who he was and she was still clinging onto the hope that somehow he hadn't paid attention when she had told him his name.

"Okay everyone. I think we'll get this meeting underway." said Nick.

Stephanie picked up her water and took a sip. As she placed the glass back down on the coaster, she turned her attention to the top of the table. Nick was standing up. He bent down to say something to Paul. He was obviously chairing the meeting today. Normally it would have been Paul. He probably decided to take a back seat being it was his first day.

"Before we get started, I'm sure the people out with the marketing department have been informed that Bill is no longer with us."

There were a few mumbles around the desk. She was pretty sure Bill Bryce had been the hot topic of conversation today.

"So before we go any further, I'd like to introduce you to his replacement, Paul Levesque."

Stephanie watched smiles of acknowledgement pass around the table. She lifted her pen to her mouth and began to chew on it. Her eyes settled on Paul. He was shaking Lily Sinclair's hand. She wondered if Lily found his hand as soft as she did. She also wondered if she was melting just looking at that smile. Probably not. Lily maintained she hated all men and that included her husband of twenty years.

"Okay, we'll start as always with the minutes of our last meeting. Mandy, if you could distribute them."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and inwardly groaned as Mandy beamed at Nick. Her gaze shifted and she noticed Paul was watching her again. She shifted in her seat feeling a rush of heat in her chest. His brown eyes were crinkled with definite amusement. He must have noticed her reaction to Mandy. Damn it, the man was far too sharp. Weren't men supposed to be blind to these things? Just then she felt her stomach flutter. He just winked at her. He had. She swore he had. She quickly glanced away as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She noticed the palm of her hand was turned upwards and she quickly placed it down on the desk. She'd read in a magazine once that showing your palms was a sign that you were attracted to a man. She was making it far too obvious. She was practically wearing a sign that told Paul she fancied him. Okay, he probably didn't read women's magazines and he probably had no idea what upturned palms meant. But still, it didn't hurt to be careful. He maybe had a sister and had sneaked a peek at her magazines every now and then. She saw the stapled papers thrust in front of her. She lifted her head and muttered her thanks.

"We'll start with the financial report first. Would you all please turn to page six of the minutes."

Stephanie rested her head in her hand while she scribbled a note with the other. She needed to remember and take home Claire's Prada sweater. She had to try and somehow remove that stain. The black dress she just purchased meant there was no chance in hell she could afford to replace it. Not this month.

"Stephanie."

She lifted her head at the sound of her voice. Mandy was sitting smiling at her.

"I did give you a copy, didn't I?"

Stephanie nodded and forced a smile while inwardly she was thinking of the most painful way she could torture the smug bitch. She picked up the minutes and began turning the pages. She lifted her head and focused on Nick as he continued to speak. Of course, she couldn't help but throw a glance in Paul's direction. He was concentrating on the minutes in front of him. He was flipping his pen again. She smiled softly.

"Ben, would you like to quickly run through the account for us?"

Her smile slowly faded as out of the corner of her eye, she watched Ben push back his chair and stand up. Paul turned his head. She saw him look over in Ben's direction. Within a matter of seconds, he was looking back at her. His brow was furrowed. His usual smile had been replaced with a curious frown. Stephanie swallowed hard and looked away. He did remember her drunken ranting. Fuck. And by the expression on his face, he wasn't entirely happy either. Of course, catching her with Ben a few minutes ago won't have helped the situation.

Stephanie couldn't help herself. She slowly tilted her head and looked back towards him. Paul was still watching her. He was still looking extremely pissed off. Although why he was so unhappy, she didn't know. She didn't want to think about it. She couldn't. All she knew was that once again, Lady Luck had decided to flip her off rather than shine down on her. Was it too much to ask that Paul could have conveniently forgotten Benjamin Cordell's damn name? Obviously it was. Now she had an irate boss to deal with and no amount of sexiness on his part would soften the blow if he fired her. It was against office policy to date a member of staff as Bill Bryce had discovered when he got his marching orders. Stephanie picked up her pen again and noticed her hand was clammy. It was obvious that no bribery with lingerie was going to help her get out of this one. She was totally screwed. God or someone up there had to help her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Stephanie's hair flew behind her as she quickly made her way along the busy street. She weaved in among the pedestrians as she clutched the strap of her leather bag that was slung across her shoulder. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk. She could feel the chill in the air as the morning sun disappeared behind a thin veil of clouds. She lifted her wrist and checked her watch. Nine thirty. She was over half an hour late. Shit. She was sure she had set her alarm clock but somehow it had decided not to go off this morning. Fortunately her bedroom window had been open and the loud sirens from a fire truck had woken her. In twenty minutes flat she had showered, dressed and hungrily munched on an apple as she ran to catch the train.

Stephanie pushed open the huge glass doors to the office building. Her eyes darted nervously around the foyer. It was practically empty. Lucy Deacon wasn't even at her post at the reception desk. No doubt she was in the bathroom caking her face in heavy makeup. Her skin had a permanent orange glow to it and it was no wonder her nickname was Deacon the Beacon. Stephanie unbuttoned her coat as she made her way up the wide marble staircase. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she ran through the mental list of the things she had to do today. Of course the number one item was to avoid her new Graphic Design Director at all costs. Mondays usually involved a lot of meetings. Hopefully Paul would be tied up in them for most of the day. In fact maybe he would be so busy he would forget any idea he had about possibly firing her. Despite Libby spending most of the weekend assuring her otherwise, it was still a distinct possibility. He had definitely looked annoyed with her on Friday. There was no doubt about it. A few times when she had allowed herself to look in his direction, he had been watching her. His deep brown eyes were narrowed. The lips she would do anything to kiss were tightly pressed together. Christ. The man was even sexier when he was pissed off. If she wasn't in fear of being out on her ass, she would have enjoyed that smouldering stare of his. The man was a God. He was hottest thing she had ever laid her eyes on. It was just a damn shame she was totally cursed in life and she would never get the chance to see that fine body in all its naked glory.

As Stephanie made it to the top of the staircase she suddenly she froze in her tracks. Her manicured hand clutched the brass banister.

"Sure. I'll take a look at it."

Her blue eyes went wide. It was him. It was Paul's voice. She would recognise that smooth husky tone anywhere. She poked her head around the corner to check. Shit. There he was standing right in front of the door she was about to go through. The last thing she needed was to add tardiness to his list of excuses to fire her. She ducked back round hiding behind the partition wall. Did he really have to be standing right there? He had a damn office. Why the hell wasn't he in there instead of blocking her path and making her even later than she already was? Of course she could always just quickly walk past him and not catch his eye. He was busy with someone. He'd probably not even notice she was there.

Stephanie pulled on her lip with her teeth as she tried to pluck up the courage to move. She gazed down towards the floor. Her eyes widened as she spotted the corner of her magazine poking out of her bag. She smiled to herself as she pulled it out. It was total genius. She'd walk past Paul with her face buried in the magazine and he wouldn't even realise it was her. Stephanie opened up her Cosmopolitan and stepped out into the corridor. As she walked to the marketing offices, she engrossed herself in the article on the page she had opened it at. It listed ninety nine things to do to a naked man. She smirked to herself. If she ever found Paul naked, her list would far exceed ninety nine. In fact the list of things she would do to that man would be endless. Number fifty three looked interesting. _Drag me into the bathroom at a dive bar for some hot, dirty, stand-up sex. _ She wondered if Paul frequented dive bars. Maybe she could offer to drag him there in return for keeping her job.

"Damn it!"

Fuck. She'd run into someone. Stephanie slowly lowered the magazine. Nick was in front of her rubbing down his shirt and she grimaced. Dark coffee stained the crumpled blue cotton. He held the remainder of his hot drink in his left hand. She quickly glanced around. Thankfully there was no sign of Paul.

"Stephanie, why the hell don't you watch where you are going?"

"I'm sorry." she mumbled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mandy over by Violet's cubicle watching her. Bitch. She wondered how smug she would look if she marched over and slapped that smirk right from her face.

"Never mind the apology. Where have you been? You missed the departmental meeting this morning." ranted Nick as he pushed his wire rimmed glasses up his nose.

Stephanie's blue eyes stared at him blankly.

Nick shook his head and sighed heavily. "You were listening when we announced it at the meeting on Friday, weren't you?"

She paused for a second before she quickly nodded her head. "Of course I was." she lied. As she quickly made her way to her desk, she racked her brain to see if she could remember anything being said about a meeting. Of course it would have helped if she had actually been paying attention but her mind had been on something else. Or rather someone else who happened to be a gorgeous six foot plus hunk. As she dumped her bag on the floor, she heard her voice behind her and turned round.

"Stephanie, there you are!"

Claire was rushing towards her, her face pink with excitement. Stephanie smiled curiously. She wondered if her friend's complexion was the reason why no-one had heard from her this weekend. She'd left Libby a message on her cell phone on Friday afternoon to say she wouldn't make it for a drink but she never left an explanation why.

"I really need to go over an account with you." she said eagerly. Her blue eyes were wide as she hung around the edge of her cubicle.

Stephanie nodded and her eyes darted guiltily around the office as she picked up her leather bag again. No-one was even paying them any attention. Of course they had no clue about their secret code for skipping work. She suddenly froze by the small filing cabinet as she remembered that Paul did. If he came looking for her and anyone mentioned where she had gone, he would know exactly where they were. She saw Nick at Mandy's desk looking curiously over in their direction. She quickly shook her head and her bag thumped to the floor. "I don't think that will be possible this morning. I've got a lot to do."

Claire looked at her in surprise. "But Steph, I really need your help with this one. It's a huge account."

"I can't. I'm sorry." Stephanie forced a smile.

"Please? It won't take long. I promise to be quick."

Stephanie's eyes stared at Claire to somehow make her understand. "I honestly can't. Maybe some other time."

"Stephanie."

She nearly jumped at the harsh tone of Nick's voice. His brow was furrowed and he wore a pissed off expression on his face. Just a typical Monday morning then.

"Go with Claire, will you? We don't to listen to the pair of you arguing all day. Then maybe once you've sorted out the account you might actually feel like doing some work around here."

Stephanie offered him a contrite smile and felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she bent down to pick up her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she followed Claire through the now silent office. Practically every member of staff stared at them. She could feel Mandy's piggy eyes practically boring a hole through her back. Nick was a fucking asshole. He wouldn't know the meaning of the word quiet if it jumped up and bit him on the ass.

As they walked along the corridor, that was when Stephanie saw him. Fuck. She grabbed Claire's arm stopping them in their tracks. The blood pounded in her ears as Paul walked in their direction. He hadn't noticed them yet. He was leafing through the papers he held in his hand. His head was slightly bowed and his soft blonde hair hid his face.

"What is it?" asked Claire as she looked at her friend in confusion. She followed Stephanie's line of vision. Her lips parted in surprise as she saw the man walking towards him. "Holy shit." she said in a hushed whisper. "Is that who I think it is?"

Stephanie nodded as her gaze remained fixated on Paul. He had stopped by the elevator. She was praying for some miraculous intervention that would make him get in the damn thing and remain oblivious to them standing there.

"How the hell….."

"Shhh!" hissed Stephanie interrupting her friend. Her eyes quickly darted between Paul and the staircase. Shit. He was moving again. Maybe if they ran fast enough, they could make it down the stairs before he spotted them. She was about to whisper her plan to Claire when Paul lifted his head. Her stomach dropped. His brown eyes gave them a quizzical look as he approached them.

"Good morning ladies."

"Good morning." Claire beamed.

"Morning." Stephanie mumbled. She couldn't look Paul in the eye. Instead she allowed herself to stare in the direction of his chest. He had on a pinstripe suit today. It looked even more expensive than the one he wore last week. His white shirt looked new and crisp. She wondered if he had a girlfriend who had lovingly ironed it for him this morning. She knew he wasn't married. He had admitted as much on their fateful train trip together. But there was no way on earth a man like him was single. He couldn't be. Paul could have his pick of women. He was absolutely fucking gorgeous. Hell, he probably had a different one banging down his door every night of the week. Lucky bitches.

"Stephanie and I were just going to discuss an important account." blurted Claire.

Stephanie quickly whipped her head round and glared at her friend. Her face flushed red. Had she lost her damn mind? Claire knew who Paul was. She obviously remembered him from Bloomingdales. Would it be too much to ask that she could remember the damn conversation? After all, she was the one that had happily bragged to Paul about their secret code. A secret code that Claire had come up with in the first place. All of a sudden, she wasn't feeling so guilty about ruining her friend's Prada sweater. It could rot in her drawer now for all she cared.

"In that case I'd better not keep you." replied Paul as he shifted the papers in his hands. Stephanie stood there almost afraid to move as he walked past them. She was getting away with it. Paul obviously didn't remember. Thank God! For once it looked like luck just might be on her side. She began to follow Claire who was making her way to the staircase.

"Stephanie."

She felt a spasm of panic as she heard Paul call her name. She silently cursed as she slowly turned round to face him.

"Once you've finished chewing over those numbers, can you come and see me in my office?"

Stephanie felt her whole body prickle. She stared at him for a few seconds unable to speak. His brown eyes were twinkling at her. He looked almost amused. Fuck. He knew. He definitely knew. The bastard was teasing her. She swallowed hard.

"Half an hour okay with you?"

Stephanie managed to nod her head. She nervously cleared her throat. "That's fine." she squeaked, her voice trembling slightly. She slowly turned round as she made her way to the stairs. The blood was pounding in her ears. She had half an hour before she was undoubtedly read the riot act. She wondered if Starbucks was hiring. Maybe she would check it out while she was there……..

Half an hour later Stephanie's stomach was churning anxiously as she approached Paul's office. She glanced at her watch. It had been exactly thirty minutes and Paul would be waiting on her. Shit. She hadn't even been able to enjoy her coffee and muffin. She'd left them practically untouched. She felt sick every time she thought about Paul and what he was going to say to her. But at the same time she'd also been totally gobsmacked by Claire's news. Apparently Pete, her new man of the moment, had proposed to her over the weekend. He'd whisked her away to a hotel and popped the question over a romantic dinner. Claire had said yes. Stephanie had asked her if she had lost her marbles. They'd only been dating for a short space of time. So short that Stephanie hadn't even met the guy of the moment.

"Hey Stephanie."

Stephanie jumped at the sound of her voice. She smiled at Paul's very pregnant secretary. "Hi Katie."

Katie stood up and picked up a bundle of papers from her desk. Stephanie's eyes went wide as she took in her size. She was huge. Her bump looked like a giant beach ball against her thin and wispy frame. The poor girl looked like she was about to burst but apparently the baby wasn't due for another six weeks yet. God help her when it came to giving birth. She wondered if Bill Bryce would be by her side when she did. Katie handed her the bundle of papers in her hand.

"Paul is waiting for you. Can you give him these for me?"

Stephanie nodded as she took the papers.

"Just go in." the small secretary said cheerily. Stephanie felt like slapping her. How could she be so damn cheery at a time like this? She was about to face the firing line. Cheery was the last thing she was feeling. She approached the door slowly and her hand tentatively gripped the shiny handle. She hesitated for a second and muttered a silent prayer. Taking a calming breath, she walked into the office.

Paul was sitting at his desk. It was crammed with paper and was even more cluttered than it was on Friday. She noticed a tall plant in the corner of the room. It was new. It was a peace lily. It was the exact same plant she used to have at home before she had to issue the last rites and chuck it out due to neglect. Stephanie nervously approached the desk. Paul looked up. The expression on his face was surprisingly soft and his brown eyes were warm and friendly. Stephanie felt herself relax just the tiniest bit. Maybe he wasn't about to kick her ass. Or maybe he was just reeling her in before going for the kill.

"Hello." said Paul.

"Hello." she replied. She shifted her feet and shoved the papers towards him. "Katie asked me to bring these to you."

Paul smiled as he pushed back his chair and stood up. He took the papers from her hand. Their fingertips brushed together ever so slightly. Stephanie almost jumped out of her skin as she still managed to breathe him in. He was wearing that cologne again. The smell almost made her weak at the knees. It was intoxicating. She wondered what he would do if she were to bury her face in his neck and just inhale deeply.

"Thanks although God knows where I'm going to put them." he said. He looked around him briefly before dumping them on top of the filing cabinet. "Take a seat." he said gesturing towards the chair.

Stephanie sat down. When she looked up, Paul was back behind his desk. Her clammy hands rested on her thighs. There were tight little knots in her stomach. She had decided on the way back from Starbucks that she was going to be honest. It was probably the best policy especially if she had any chance of keeping her job. If that failed, she wasn't totally against suggesting the dirty sex in the dive bar. After all, it wouldn't exactly be a hardship. She could also offer to wear the lingerie. She was prepared to do absolutely anything. She just couldn't contemplate not working here. "I want to apologise for this morning." she said beginning their conversation. "I promise it won't happen again."

Paul raised his eyebrows as he watched her intently. "Which part? Missing the meeting or going to Starbucks when you should be working?"

Stephanie's face was hot. It was probably flushed bright red. "Both. I'm really sorry. I can assure you it will be the last time I will ever do such a thing." She glanced down briefly at her hands and cleared her throat. When she looked back up, Paul was staring at her and she felt her body tremble slightly. "I love my job. I am totally committed to it. I'm totally committed to this company. I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"Anything, huh?" Paul asked, his mouth twitching.

Stephanie nodded emphatically. "Anything."

Paul was silent for a few seconds as he just looked at her. He licked his lips. Stephanie wondered what he would say if he even guessed the lengths she was prepared to go to. Especially when he pushed that soft hair of his behind his ears like he did just now. Sweet Jesus.

"Katie is leaving us at the end of the week. I'd like to organise a little party for her. Think you can help arrange that with me?"

Stephanie felt her shoulders sag with relief as she instantly relaxed. He wanted her to organise a party with him. Paul obviously wasn't going to fire her. Her job was safe. And, as a bonus, she would get to spend some time with him as they went over the details for the small get together. This had gone so much better than she could have imagined. "Sure." she nodded.

"Good." He rested his hands together on the desk. "So, the people in the office seem like a good lot."

"They are."

"And it was nice to have the chance to be introduced to people from other departments at the meeting on Friday."

Stephanie's breathing stopped as she stared back at Paul silently. Shit. He was going to bring up Ben. She just knew he was. Suddenly she could feel herself tense up once more and she rubbed her sweaty palms against her skirt.

"It must have been awkward for you."

Stephanie's mouth went dry as he watched her carefully.

"Having Ben there, I mean."

She lifted her hand and nervously pushed her hair back from her face. She didn't want to discuss Ben with Paul. For some reason, it made her feel extremely uncomfortable. It was just a pity that in hindsight she hadn't felt that way on the damn train instead of rambling on about him like a drunken idiot.

"It must be hard seeing him on a day to day basis when you still care about him like you do." continued Paul.

"Actually you're wrong." Stephanie snapped defiantly. "I don't care about Ben and seeing him in the office is definitely not a problem." She let out a shaky breath as she tossed back her hair. She knew her tone was harsh but he had rattled her. This conversation was making her feel extremely uneasy.

For a few seconds Paul just stared at her saying nothing and she shifted in her seat. She heard the sound of the traffic through the open window. The sun shone brightly into the room and she couldn't help but notice how the flecks of light shone through his hair.

"Good. I'm glad." he replied eventually, smiling gently.

"In fact, I've decided that mixing my personal and professional lives is a definite no-no from now on." she blurted out although she wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe it was because she wanted Paul to know she wasn't risking her job on no uncertain terms.

His reply was a nod as his soft hair brushed across his shoulders. "That's great although I'm sure the most of the male population of the building will be disappointed to hear that."

Stephanie's heart gave a small flip. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Paul if he was disappointed. After all he must think she was sort of pretty to making that kind of statement. Or maybe he just felt sorry for her. She mentally kicked herself. Shit, damn and blast it. What had she done? If there was any remote chance of getting with Paul, she'd just gone and ruined it. Not that there was much of a chance to begin with. She fancied the pants off him but she was nothing more than an employee as far as he was concerned. He'd certainly done nothing to show her otherwise.

"Anyway, I'm glad you can help me out with Katie's party. I'm not very good at that sort of thing."

"It's not a problem." Stephanie replied as she smiled at him softly. "If she's leaving on Friday though, we really need to discuss it today."

Paul nodded as he glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Unfortunately though I've got a meeting in five minutes. In fact, I'm tied up in the meetings for the rest of the day." He sat back as he picked his silver pen up from his desk. He began to flip it through his thick fingers as he looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Unless of course you wanted to……"

"What?" Stephanie asked almost too quickly as his voice trailed off. Her blue eyes were wide. For some reason her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.

"Well I was thinking or rather I was wondering…" He paused again. Stephanie sat on the edge of her chair. She practically wanted to scream at him to spit it out. He was taking forever to ask her. In the meantime, her heart was in danger of thumping itself right out of her ribcage.

"Would you like to go for a drink after work and discuss it then?"

Stephanie's lips parted. Oh my God. Paul was asking her out. Okay, it wasn't technically asking her out but he wanted to meet her outside their normal working hours. And they were going for a drink to a bar when he could very well have discussed the party in the comfort of his own office. She bit down on her lip. She wanted to grin like mad but she would probably scare him off. She was quite sure he wouldn't want a drink with a lunatic. She replied when she felt she was finally able to speak. "Sure."

"You don't have anything already planned do you?"

Stephanie shook her head. Her plans had involved doing laundry which was currently heaped in the basket and had spilled over to the foot of her bed. She had put it off for a week. Another night wasn't going to make a bit of difference.

"Good. I should be done here around six. Is that okay with you?" asked Paul as he put down his pen.

Stephanie nodded as she stood up from her seat. She smoothed down her skirt and smiled. "I've got plenty of work I need to catch up on anyway."

"Then I'll see you at six." he said, his brown eyes sparkling at her.

"Six it is." she replied. She looked at him for a moment before she shyly glanced away and left his office. She passed Katie who was on the telephone. She gave her a wave as she made her way back to the marketing office. She tried to keep calm but every five seconds a huge grin spread across her face. Her stomach fluttered with excitement. She was going for a drink with Paul. God bless Bill Bryce and his adulterating semen. Because of those little suckers she was getting to spend time with the man who, in all honesty, had turned her whole world upside down from the moment she had met him. Fate had intervened and had decided to bring him into her life. Who was she to argue with that? She was going to grab this opportunity with both hands. She was going to charm the pants off Paul Levesque, figuratively speaking of course. She wasn't going to blow this chance to spend time with him. She just couldn't. It simply wasn't an option for her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Stand back. Let's take a look at you."

Stephanie leant against the white ceramic sink and stared at her friend warily. Claire was standing with her hand on her hips while her eyes gave her the once over. Her tongue poked out the corner of her mouth. Stephanie could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. Her friend, God love her, considered herself an expert in all aspects of fashion. On hearing about her drink with Paul, Claire had decided that she had needed her advice. She had to admit she was slightly worried. The last time Claire had helped her out had been just before her first date with Ben. Her skirt had been so short it had resembled nothing more than a belt and the top she wore had been so minimal she had spent the better part of the night tucking her chest back in. But thankfully there wasn't much chance of a repeat performance this evening. It was nearly six and they were still at the office. Surely there wasn't much damage Claire could do here in the ladies bathroom.

"Black pencil skirt, shirt and heels. It's simple yet elegant."

"I'm elegant?" asked Stephanie, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Shhhh! Don't interrupt me while I'm thinking."

Stephanie's mouth twitched upwards as Claire pushed her glasses to the top of her head. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she stood directly in front of Stephanie. "We need a little more cleavage." Her manicured fingers unfastened a button on her shirt. She reached across into her bag which had been dumped on the ledge in front of them. She pulled out a red scarf and proceeded to tie it around her friend's neck.

"Now this is Gucci silk. I paid two hundred dollars for this. Lose it and I'll kill you."

Claire twirled her round towards the mirror and smiled at her over her shoulder. "Ta da! Well? What do you think?"

Stephanie frowned as she pondered over her reflection. Her hand reached up touching the scarf. Her fingers tugged at it uncomfortably. "I don't know. Don't you think it makes me look a bit air hostessish or something?"

She heard Claire snort with indignation. "Stephanie, you look nothing like a damn air hostess. This is the latest fashion. It's in all the magazines, you know."

"If you say so."

"I do say so. Now turn around."

Stephanie sighed as she shuffled round to face Claire. She was rummaging in her bag again. She smiled triumphantly as she pulled out a hair clip. "Pin up your hair and I'll find some lip gloss."

Stephanie reached up and gathered her chestnut strands together. Personally, she hated wearing her up but she wasn't about to argue with Claire. The woman was clearly on a mission. If she wanted to keep her head firmly attached to her body, it was in her best interests just to follow her instructions. She placed the clip in her hair as Claire began to apply the lip gloss.

"Stephanie, I am so excited. You are totally going to knock him dead." Claire reached up and began to pull a few strands of hair to frame Stephanie's face. She stepped back and smiled as she admired her handiwork. "Now all we need is the piece de resistance."

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as her friend once again delved into her bag. She pulled out a pink floral bottle which she eyed up suspiciously. "What is that?"

Claire grinned almost manically as she removed the lid from the bottle. "This, my dear, is my secret weapon. Monyette Paris perfume. One sniff of this and he'll be putty in your hands."

Stephanie sniffed the air as Claire applied the perfume behind her ears and on her wrists. "That's gorgeous." she beamed.

"Rub your wrists together." said Claire as she bent over to the side and chuckling quietly to herself, she sprayed the perfume directly up Stephanie's skirt. "Just a final blast for luck."

Stephanie burst into laughter. "Claire, you are nuts."

"Well, you never know. A girl needs to be prepared for every eventuality."

"It's work related, remember. We're only having a drink to discuss Katie's party."

Claire snorted in disbelief as she picked up her bag. She licked her finger and absently wiped at a mark on the shiny black leather. "Katie finishes at five. You could have easily discussed it in his office." She slung the bag across her shoulder and grinned at her friend. "The man is clearly into you. He's found a perfect opportunity to get to know you a little better."

Stephanie shook her head adamantly as she turned to check her reflection in the mirror. She had to admit the person staring back at her wasn't all that bad. Her skin was glowing and for once, her hair didn't look a mess. She still wasn't sure about the scarf though. If one single person uttered the words trolley dolly in her direction, it was getting yanked off faster that you could say take off. "You're wrong Claire. Paul sees me as an employee, nothing more." She picked up her own bag from the ledge and followed Claire towards the door.

"Trust me, Steph, by tomorrow morning you'll be singing a different tune." Claire pushed open the door and stood aside to let Stephanie pass. She smiled at her widely. "My secret weapon is flawless, you know. By the end of the night, you'll be fighting off his advances."

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she made her way into the deserted corridor. Her heels clicked against the marble floor. Claire was obviously delusional. One spray of perfume didn't make her irresistible and not to a man who probably thought she was bordering on psychotic. Not to mention the fact that she constantly found herself in embarrassing situations every time she was within ten feet of the guy. Nope, there was no chance in hell Paul Levesque was even remotely interested in her. She was an employee helping him out. It was nothing more than that. But still she couldn't help the small bubbles of excitement forming in the pit of her stomach. A girl could always dream and what a dream it would be if those soft sweet lips of his found themselves firmly attached to hers.

"Right, I'm going to head home. My Mom is coming over tonight and the place is like a tip." said Claire. She pulled Stephanie into a hug and smiled at her. She slowly backed away towards the stairs. "Have a good time tonight and remember I want all the details in the morning."

"Goodnight Claire." Stephanie replied as she lifted her hand in a wave watching until she disappeared. Making her way back to the office, she sniffed at her wrist inhaling the floral scent.

"Oh, you are still here."

Stephanie groaned inwardly as Mandy's head popped up from her cubicle. Trust her to still be there when she was meeting Paul in a couple of minutes. Didn't the bitch have a home to go to? Then again, those huge nostrils of hers probably smelled gossip a mile off. She seemed to have built-in radar when it came to these sorts of things. If she found out they were going for a drink, the news would be all over the office by the time she'd even made it in the door tomorrow morning. Business related or not, Mandy the Mouth would have a field day with the news.

"Paul has been looking for you."

"Thanks." Stephanie forced a smile in her direction and made her way to her desk. The office was unusually quiet. No-one else was here. One of the things she loved about this place was the constant buzz of activity. But tonight she was more than happy to see that everyone had gone home. Well almost everyone. She scowled as she thought of Mandy. Dumping her bag on the floor, she switched off her computer. She felt a wave of relief as she turned round to see Mandy pull on her coat.

"My sister wears a scarf just like yours."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows fractionally as she placed a file in the cabinet. She heard a door close shut in the corridor behind her. Her blood began to beat in her ears as she realised it could be Paul.

"She works for United Airlines, you know. She's an air hostess."

Stephanie forcefully slammed the drawer shut as she tried to remain calm and resist the temptation to throttle her. As soon as the bitch was out that door, the scarf was coming off. To hell with Claire and her stupid fashion magazines. They obviously didn't know what they were talking about.

"Well goodnight, Stephanie."

"Goodnight." she called out as she pretended to be busy with the file in her hand. There would no doubt be a smug expression on her face. She wouldn't give her the satisfaction of even looking in her direction. The sound of Mandy's footsteps echoed down the corridor. Stephanie threw the file on her desk and began to untie the scarf from her neck.

"Fucking air hostess!" she muttered into the empty office. "I'll fucking air hostess her! Bitch!"

"I take it someone has been winding you up just now?"

Stephanie visibly jumped as his deep tone startled her. She spun round on her heel with the red scarf dangling from her hand. She swallowed thickly as Paul grinned in her direction. His brown eyes twinkled at her. She felt her heart begin to thump wildly against her rib cage.

"Although I have to say it wouldn't take a genius to figure out who it was." said Paul as he stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets. "You should spit in her coffee tomorrow. It might make you feel better."

Stephanie's lips tugged upwards into a smile. "Actually I'd rather slap her."

Paul tried to conceal a smile as he shook his head. "As your boss, I really shouldn't tolerate violence in the workplace. Spitting should be sufficient."

"In that case, I'll get straight on it first thing in the morning."

"Good. I always think it's important to have obedience from my staff." said Paul, smiling. His eyes scanned her desk. "So, are you ready to go or do you need more time?"

"No, I'm done." Stephanie replied as she grabbed her black coat from the back of her chair. She put it on and picked up her bag stuffing the red scarf inside.

"There's a bar just down the block. I thought we could go there."

Stephanie nodded her head as she followed him out of the office. She knew the place he meant and she knew it would be free from prying eyes. It was Monday night which meant no-one from the office would be there to see them. Although she would have gotten a smug sense of satisfaction to be seen walking in with Paul. He was the hot topic of conversation amongst the females in the building who practically drooled every time his name was mentioned.

"After you." said Paul as he stepped aside to let her down the marble staircase.

Stephanie smiled as she brushed past him silently cursing his need to be polite. She wouldn't have minded following him down the steps in the least. Any chance she could get to stare at the perfect ass of his. It looked so firm and squeezable. She bet it would fit nicely in her hands. As she went to push the heavy glass door, she felt Paul open it behind her. She tilted her head to mutter her thanks catching the intoxicating smell of his cologne. As usual, he smelled amazing. She wondered if he considered it his secret weapon because God knows, one sniff of him and she was putty in his hands.

As they made their way along the tree lined street, they talked casually about the office. Stephanie felt herself smiling as she walked beside Paul. Every person they passed, she found herself wanting to scream and point "Look I'm with him." Maybe even the people that passed them actually thought they looked good together. So good, in fact, that they thought they were a genuine couple. Okay, they weren't holding hands but they didn't need public displays of affection. No-one wanted to see people slobbering over one another in the street.

Stephanie hadn't noticed how cold it was outside until they walked into the bar. The heat instantly hit her, warming up her cheeks. She loosened her coat a little as she followed Paul to an empty table. Low music played from the jukebox in the corner. There were a number of people scattered around the large dimly lit room.

"Grab a seat and I'll go to the bar." said Paul as he pulled out a chair. Stephanie smiled at him gratefully as she removed her coat and placed it across the back of the seat. "What can I get you to drink?" he asked as she sat down at the small wooden table.

"Can I have a white wine?"

Paul nodded and she watched him make his way to the bar. She let out a calming breath as her stomach fluttered wildly. Christ, she was nervous which was ridiculous if you thought about it. They weren't on a date. It was just business for goodness sakes. But it was Paul and the man had the uncanny knack of getting her flustered and was it any wonder he did when he was standing there brushing his hand through his hair like that. She could only imagine what it actually felt like to run your fingers through those blonde strands. And his skin? God! Touching that would be incredible. His hand had been so soft that one time she had held it. What if the rest of his body was like that? It would be so firm too. That man was built. He was her idea of perfection. Stephanie sighed softly and glanced away. She rested her hands on the chipped table as she mentally chastised herself. She had to stop thinking like this otherwise she'd be liable to jump him the minute he got back. She'd never been attracted to anyone so badly in her life. He was driving her crazy. He had done since the moment they met on that train.

"Here we go. One white wine for the lady."

Stephanie lifted her head and smiled as Paul placed the glass down in front of her. Her blue eyes widened as she noticed her upturned palms. She quickly flipped them over and picked up her glass. Her body was sending out signals without her even realising. As she took a mouthful of wine, Paul sat in the seat across from her. He'd removed his suit jacket and his white shirt sleeves were rolled up. She found herself staring at his thick forearms. She still couldn't get over the size of them. They were definitely the biggest she had seen.

"So, have you had any thoughts about this party?"

The party. Shit. She'd forgotten about that. Of course it was the reason they were here but as she watched Paul sip his beer she realised it was the last thing on her mind. Her blue eyes seemed to be mesmerised by him. It was pretty pathetic really. Here she was, a grown woman, and she was getting giddy over the way his throat moved when he swallowed. She had to get a grip. She deliberately moved her eyes away. She had been staring at him for so long he probably thought she was bordering on creepy. She nervously cleared her throat as she placed down her glass of wine. "The party? Yes. I've had a few ideas."

"And?" he asked smiling as his long fingers picked at the label on his beer bottle.

Stephanie almost smiled but she bit down on her lip to stop herself. She'd once read that guys who picked at labels were sexually frustrated. Paul obviously wasn't getting any or if he was, he wasn't satisfied. There was something about that that pleased her somewhat. If he asked nicely, she'd be more than willing to help him out in that department.

"Are you going to share them with me?" he prompted.

Stephanie nodded her head as she mentally gave herself a shake. "Of course."

"Good."

"Where do you want me to start?"

Paul swallowed his drink and smiled. "Well, have you thought of where to hold it? The office? Somewhere else?"

"Actually I know the perfect place and Katie absolutely loves it." she replied as she proceeded to tell Paul her plans……………

The sky was black and scattered with stars when they left the train station. Stephanie shivered in the cold breeze and her fingers fumbled with the buttons on her coat. Her head was pleasantly buzzing. She'd had four glasses of wine and on an empty stomach. All she'd eaten all day was an apple first thing this morning. But as she glanced over at Paul, she realised food was the last thing on her mind. She'd had an amazing time tonight. After the first drink, they'd finished discussing the party. She had been pleasantly surprised when Paul had suggesting having another. She had thought he would be eager to leave and go home but a second drink had turned into four as they chatted to one another about everything and anything. He'd asked her questions about herself and had seemed genuinely interested as he listened to her answers. She'd discovered he had an older sister and went three or four times a week to the gym. He was so easy to talk to and really funny too. At one point her sides had hurt, she had laughed so hard. And now he was walking her home. His stop had been before hers but he had insisted on escorting her personally to her door. She smiled as they made their way along the busy street. The lights from the stores shone brightly on their faces.

"I'm just at the end of this road." said Stephanie as a car rumbled past them. Paul's shoulder brushed against hers. Stephanie's breath caught in her throat as she felt his hand. His chilled fingers brushed against hers sending a tingle of excitement down her spine. Slowly they entwined themselves around hers joining their hands together. She felt her heart race in her chest. She bit down on her lip in an attempt not to grin like an idiot. Neither one of them spoke as her heels clicked in time with his footsteps. Paul's grip was firm. She could feel his thumb lightly trace her own. His hand felt so soft and warm. He would be lucky to get it back because quite frankly she had no intentions of letting it go. But all too soon they had arrived at her doorstep and her stomach still bubbled with excitement as she stood in front of him, facing him.

"Well, this is me." she said as her blue eyes scanned his face. "Thank you for bringing me home."

"You're welcome." replied Paul, his husky tone sending a tingle down her spine. "I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't know you got back safe." His thumb lightly traced her knuckle. His brown eyes pulled her in.

"Well I could have called you and saved you having another trip on the train."

Paul nodded as his hair blew in the breeze. "But secretly, I like the tube. Sometimes you come across some pretty interesting people." He winked at her. Stephanie swallowed thickly. "And besides, walking you home was a selfish ploy on my part."

"It was?" she asked and she licked her lips. Her heart was thumping wildly against her ribcage. She was so sure he was going to kiss her. God, she wanted him too so much.

"It was." said Paul as he placed her finger underneath her chin. "If I didn't walk you home, I wouldn't get to do this."

He leant forward and brushed his lips softly against hers. Stephanie let a sigh escape from her mouth as her eyes closed and she melted into his kiss. His lips felt so warm and they tasted faintly of beer. She could feel her body throb. Her head was starting to spin. It was a perfect first kiss. One she had never dreamt would actually happen. As Paul pulled slowly away, her eyelids fluttered open. Her mouth was still wet. She could still feel him on her lips.

"I should let you get inside. You'll freeze standing out here."

Stephanie nodded slowly. As well as feeling breathless, she'd lost the ability to speak. Or maybe she was just stopping herself from being tempted to ask Paul to stay. Not that there would be anything wrong with that if she did. It was normal behaviour to ask the man who walked you home if he wanted a cup of coffee. After all, it was common courtesy. And God, she wanted him to stay. She wanted him to stay with every fibre of her being. But she didn't want him to get the wrong impression and with everything that happened with Ben, she wasn't going to rush this, whatever this actually was.

"Goodnight Stephanie." said Paul as he gently let go of her hand, their fingertips grazing together.

"Goodnight Paul." she replied.

He smiled and turned around. She watched his massive frame make his way down the brightly lit street.

"If he looks back, he likes you." she whispered into the wind. She bit down on her lip anxiously as her blue eyes followed him. Her hand fumbled in her bag as she rummaged for her keys. "Come on, Paul. Look back just even once. That's all I'm asking." As her fingers wrapped around them, she saw him glance back in her direction. She casually waved at him while inside her heart had skipped a beat. She watched him until she knew he had safely disappeared around the corner before she began to jump around excitedly in front of the house. "Yes!" she cried as she punched her hand triumphantly in the air. Paul Levesque liked her. Maybe Lady Luck wasn't such a bitch after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Stephanie licked the remnants of muffin from her finger as she stared at her computer screen. Her tongue swept over her lips savouring the taste. She could bet that her banana and toffee treat tasted so much better than the energy bar she was trying to promote. The Balance bar. Apparently it provided lasting energy and hunger satisfaction as well as coming in a variety of different flavours. She would bet her money that no matter what flavour it was, the bar was like soggy cardboard. Everyone knew that anything healthy for you tasted absolute crap. Plus, if she was killing herself in the gym like the chick eating this bar, she sure as hell wouldn't be living on a pathetic diet of nuts and seeds. She would be tucking into chocolate and damn well enjoying it. Not that she would be caught dead on a running machine anyway. They were too much like hard work and besides, she was allergic to exercise.

Stephanie flexed her fingers and got up from her chair. She really needed to get this promotion done but damn it, she just couldn't concentrate. Her mind was preoccupied with too many other things. Okay, just one other thing. Paul. His absence was driving her nuts. He still hadn't made an appearance at the office this morning and she was getting more wound up with every passing second. Stephanie chewed on the inside of her lip and she glanced around the busy room. As she watched Violet take a call, she decided she would have another coffee. God knows she needed the caffeine today. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night. How could she when all she could think about was him and those wonderful lips of his?

Stephanie made her way to the coffee machine in the corner of the office. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to ignore Mandy who was scoping her out from the safety of her desk. No doubt she was salivating at the fact she was having two cups of coffee within the space of ten minutes. She was probably e-mailing Nick this very second to tell him. Stupid bitch! Stephanie picked up the tall coffee pot. As she poured the hot liquid her mind turned once again to Paul. Where was he? That was what she wanted to know. It was almost ten. He should have been here well over an hour ago. She'd even turned up early herself in the hope of catching him while the office had been empty. Instead she had been subjected to the sound of the vacuum cleaner and Mabel tunelessly giving her rendition of Desperado. What a morning. The only chance of it improving would be Paul walking through the door. Although what she would say to him she didn't have a clue. All she knew was that she was desperate to see him. She couldn't stop thinking about the kiss they had shared last night. God knows she could remember every detail like the way his lips had felt soft and warm and how his beard lightly scratched her skin. It had been so tender and sweet and had left her needing and wanting more. The question was did Paul want more? That was something else that had kept her tossing and turning in bed and as she had lain staring up at the moonlit ceiling, she analysed his every action. Yes Paul had been the one to offer to walk her home. He had also been the one to initiate things between them when he had shyly taken her hand in his. And yes, he had kissed her but it didn't necessarily mean something was going to happen. He could even regret his actions. Maybe that was why he was late. Maybe he was avoiding her while he thought of a way to let her down gently. That would be the more likely scenario. After all, she was cursed when it came to men. She seemed to only attract bastards or adulterating scum like Ben. She never got the good ones, the caring and considerate type. The type she considered Paul Levesque to be.

"Are you planning on standing and daydreaming all day?"

Nick's voice jolted her from her thoughts. Stephanie shook her head, clearing her throat and placed down the coffee pot. She noticed she had spilled some. A drop of dark liquid dribbled down the side of her Styrofoam cup. She lifted it up and caught it with her manicured finger.

"Good. The creative department have the sketches done for the well-woman promotion. I said I would send someone to collect them for our meeting this afternoon. You can go."

Stephanie rolled her eyes as Nick walked back to his desk and took a mouthful of coffee. He obviously thought she had nothing better to do than waste her precious time running around after him. She'd remind him of that when he shouted at her later looking for the energy bar promotion that she would probably be late handing in. Asshole!

"Go now please Stephanie!" Nick called out across the office.

She cursed him under her breath as she slammed down her coffee and strode out along the corridor, her heels clicking against the marble. She forced a smile at a few staff members from personnel who were gathered in a group near the elevators. Her hand angrily smacked the button as she waited impatiently. Who the fuck did that man think he was? He was constantly on her back needling her. Stephanie scowled and folded her arms across her chest as the doors slid open. Her head was bowed as she walked in and muttering under her breath, she selected the top floor.

"Going my way?"

Her hair bristled on the back of her neck as she heard his deep voice behind her. She swallowed thickly as she spun on her heel to face him. He was leaning against the back wall looking amazing in his expensive dark grey suit with his blonde hair resting against his shoulders. The man always looked a million bucks. Just the sight of him made her shiver inside. His brown eyes were sparkling as he flashed his gorgeous smile at her. Her heart skipped a beat as the blood beat loudly in her ears. "Paul." she breathed.

"Not skipping out to Starbucks I hope?" he teased.

She could feel the heat flush her cheeks as she shyly shook her head. Her hands nervously smoothed down her black and white check skirt. "I've seen the error of my ways." she smiled.

Her chest rose and fell with her breathing. Her blue eyes were mesmerised by him. No one had ever had this affect on her before. Just looking at Paul made her body tingle and every thought imaginable rushed through her head. Most of them involved him in a state of undress of course. She thought about the magazine article she read only yesterday. Number twenty eight on the list had involved sex in an elevator. If only she was brazen enough to suggest it. Then again, who said he would even be interested? As she stood watching him, she mentally begged him to say something, anything that showed he had enjoyed last night. That he didn't regret it and that he wasn't going to call her to his office this morning and tell her it had been a mistake.

"Good. I wouldn't want my staff slacking off in my absence."

"I wouldn't dream of it." she replied, forcing a brighter smile. Her eyes darted quickly to the red digital numbers above the elevator buttons. They were on the eighth floor. Paul needed to say something quick. He would be getting off soon. The button for the eleventh floor was lit up. It was obviously his stop unless she discreetly found a way to press the emergency button. Then they would be trapped together. She would be stuck in an enclosed space with Paul Levesque. Now that was no hardship! Not to mention the fact the conversation would have to come up sooner or later. He would have to mention the kiss at some point. Maybe he would even kiss her again. Shit they were on the ninth floor now. She was running out of time!

Stephanie turned her head slightly and allowed herself to look at Paul. She blushed as she caught his eye. He was standing there watching her. Didn't he realise he was wasting valuable time here? Obviously not.

"Did you manage to sort out the arrangements we discussed for Katie's party?" asked Paul as he took a step towards her.

Stephanie licked her lips tasting her apple lip balm. Finally. Here we go. "Yes. I did it this morning."

"Thanks Steph. I appreciate it." he smiled.

"No problem." she replied. Paul took another step towards her. God, he was so close now. She inhaled the heavenly scent of his cologne. Just then the elevator doors pinged open. Paul smiled.

"I have to go. I have a meeting with accounts."

Stephanie felt disappointment at his businesslike tone. She swallowed thickly as she watched him leave. Her stomach fluttered as he waved at her before the doors closed over. Only when the elevator began to move did she let out the breath she had been holding. Her whole body was throbbing where he had touched her when he brushed past her. This was crazy. One kiss and she was totally besotted with the man. Although who was she kidding? She had been besotted with Paul the moment she had met him. It was just a pity that her feelings were probably unrequited. Paul had been so cool standing there. It was if nothing had happened between them. If he felt even a shred of what she felt, he couldn't have acted that way could he? Stephanie sighed and wearily rubbed her forehead. God, she was so confused. Her head hurt trying to figure it all out. One thing was for certain, she would be damned if she was going to throw herself at the man. If he wanted to play cool, she could do cool. She'd just have to keep this attraction or whatever it was under control. It couldn't be that hard surely? Paul might be a good looking guy but she'd been around good looking men before and she hadn't thrown herself at any of them. Okay, they didn't have those deep brown eyes that you could find yourself getting lost in or a smile that made your legs tremble and turn to jelly. And they most definitely didn't have a voice that made you melt or smell so incredible that you could imagine spending hours with your head buried in his neck.

Stephanie tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she leant against the elevator wall. She might as well face the fact that she was obviously fated to find him sexy as hell and who was she to mess with fate? But God help her if Paul went and kissed her a second time. She would be absolutely and totally done for……………

"Stephanie! Get your ass into this meeting."

Snarling and hitting the enter key a little more forcefully than usual, Stephanie pushed back her chair and grabbed her folders from her desk. She silently uttered a list of expletives all aimed in Nick's direction. He really was a bastard today. He was even more arrogant than usual. Of course he'd let the power go to his head. With Paul tied up for most of the day, Nick had been left in charge. And didn't she know it. He'd been constantly on her back. Okay, she hadn't got the advert done but how the fuck was she meant to concentrate with him bleating on every five seconds? If he wasn't careful, she'd rip off his balls and feed them through the shredder.

As Stephanie got her things together, she glanced over in the direction of the small board room. Every one appeared to be in their seats although she couldn't see Paul. He was meant to be there this afternoon but who the hell actually knew? Not that she cared of course. After all, she was playing it cool. She would be the perfect example of calm and collected.

"Yeah, we want an image we can use for the entire range of products."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened at the sound of his voice. Fuck. It was Paul. He was talking on his cell phone. Without thinking, she ducked her head behind the wall of her cubicle. Although why she had, she didn't have a clue. It was hardly the actions of a woman in control. As his voice disappeared, she slowly peered over the partition and watched his large frame as he walked past the glass. Paul was in the meeting. Shit. She needed to get her ass in there. Hastily scooping her belongings into her arms, she briskly walked towards the board room. As she got to the door, she paused and let out a calming breath. She had to remember cool. Stephanie flicked her hair and held her head up high as she strolled into the room.

"How nice of you to join us."

Stephanie ignored Nick as her blue eyes scanned the table. There was only one seat left. It was at the top left hand side right next to Paul. She placed her folders down and pulled out the chair acting as composed as possible. She tried to ignore the heat rushing to her face hoping it would go away.

"Hey." Paul smiled, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Hello." she replied and smiled before quickly glancing away. She silently congratulated herself for not letting her eyes linger. She set out her notebook directly in front of her and looked around the room. Her finger repeatedly clicked the pen in her hand. Outwardly she was calm and smiling at everyone while inside her stomach was churning. Just even being close to Paul unsettled her terribly. Christ, and now she could smell his cologne.

"Nick, do you want to start things off?" asked Paul.

Nick nodded and stood up from his seat. His small fat hands reached up and adjusted his tie. "We've got the proofs for the well women promotion."

Stephanie shifted in her chair. She tried her hardest to pay attention to Nick but being so close to Paul was playing havoc with her mind. He was like a magnet. She constantly found herself being drawn to him. It was taking everything she had not to turn her head ever so slightly in his direction and all because he showed her a bit of sympathy when she was drunk and pathetic on that tube.

"Obviously with a campaign such as this we are targeting the 20 to 45 year olds."

Stephanie saw Mandy scribbling furiously across the table. Her nose scrunched in disapproval as she turned her attention back to Nick. Not that she heard a single word he was saying. Paul had moved in his chair. She could see his thick forearms resting on the desk. His shirt sleeves sat just above his wrists. The sunlight reflected off the glass face of his watch. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. God, she wished she could read his mind. Maybe it would stop her feeling so confused about everything. The guy was blowing hot and cold. Or maybe she was just reading too much into his actions. Maybe she should just stop obsessing over the whole damn thing too much.

"Maybe we are misapprehending our corporate position, Nick? Maybe we should focus on this from a strategic point of view. Focus on our competencies."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened as she looked over at Mandy. What the hell was the bitch going on about? Competencies? Was that even a fucking word?

"Pardon me." interrupted Paul.

Stephanie allowed herself to look in his direction. After all he was talking. It would be rude not to give him her full attention.

"Can you repeat what you just said Mandy?"

Stephanie saw the smug glow on Mandy's face. She was obviously enjoying being the centre of attention.

"Well Mr Levesque what I was saying was we maybe need to review our corporate vision. Focus on things strategically and……"

Paul had lifted his hand to stop her. His brown eyes looked at her quizzically. "Can you repeat that in language I can understand?"

Mandy coughed and couldn't disguise the annoyance she felt. Her eyes looked more pig-like than usual as she squinted in his direction. "Well, we should probably focus on our strong points."

"Thank you. Please, continue." Paul's big hand lifted up his pen and Stephanie watched as he flipped it through his fingers. It was a cute little quirk of his. Not that she had noticed of course. Playing it cool meant you were oblivious to these things and she was as cool as a cucumber. Suddenly Paul turned his head and flashed a grin her way. Stephanie felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she managed a tiny grin back. Okay, now she couldn't stop looking at him. This was absolutely hopeless. There was no chance in hell she could act calm around him. It looked like she'd have to review this whole cucumber thing.

Stephanie wasn't sure how she managed it but an hour later somehow she survived the meeting. As Paul brought it to a close, she gratefully gathered her things together.

"Paul, can I have a word?"

Stephanie looked up to see Mandy hovering at the top of the table. She stood up and placing the folders in her arms, she began to leave the room. There were still a couple of hours to go. She had to get this promotion finished.

"Stephanie?"

Paul's voice sent a jolt down her spine. She turned around slowly. He was smiling at her.

"Can you wait for me in my office? I wanted to discuss the Adams file with you."

Stephanie nodded and smiled before quickly leaving the room. It wasn't until she arrived at her desk that it actually dawned on her. She swallowed thickly as she placed down her folders. The Adams file. Paul's secret code. Her heart hammered in her chest as she tried to remain calm. However she couldn't contain the frisson of excitement at the thought of what it meant. Paul obviously wanted to discuss what had happened last night. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. This morning she would have been elated but after the ride in the elevator this morning, she had her doubts. Ignorance meant she didn't have to face his rejection. If it even was rejection. Shit. Now she was scared.

Spotting her handbag by her desk, Stephanie picked it up. Her hand reached in for her lip gloss. If she was going to go down, she was going to go down in style. She quickly ran the brush through her hair just as Paul walked out the room with Mandy in tow. Her bag gave a thud as she let it drop to the floor.

"Hey. Are you ready?" he asked her.

Stephanie nodded and smiled. She was ready as she would ever be. Her heart hammered in her chest as she followed him silently down the corridor. Katie wasn't at her desk. Stephanie remembered she had a doctor's appointment.

"After you." Paul opened the door to his office. Stephanie stepped inside. The sunlight shone through the open window. She could smell the floral air freshener that lingered in the room.

"So," he began as he sat down on the edge of his desk. It was surprisingly clear of paper. Then again, he hadn't been in his office all day. She should know. She'd checked enough times. As Paul raised his head, he looked directly at her. His brown eyes wore an unfathomable expression as he spoke. "I had a nice time last night."

His admission caused a lopsided smile to cross Stephanie's face. She bit down on her lip suddenly unsure of what to say. Paul fingers tapped absently against his thigh and there was silence between them for a few moments. She could hear the traffic in the busy street below.

"I guess I just wanted you to know that."

Stephanie couldn't stop her smile from widening. Paul sounded so shy and so incredibly sweet. "Me too." she replied.

She couldn't stop herself from shifting her feet and taking a step closer. She felt an inexplicable pull towards him. Paul pushed back his hair and smiled at her. Stephanie couldn't stop the words tumbling from her mouth. "I'd like to do it again sometime."

"Me too." Paul replied before pausing. His tongue flicked out to lick his lips. "But maybe with us working together…….."

His voice trailed off. Stephanie smiled quickly as she tried to disguise her crushing disappointment. "You're right. It's not a good idea."

She saw Paul raise his eyebrows fractionally at her response. He was looking at her strangely. What the hell did he expect her to say? She was doing her best to keep her dignity here. Surely he could give her that at least.

"Oh."

Oh. What kind of an answer was oh? And why was he looking at her like that? Like he was almost disappointed? He was the one that brought it up. As he stood up from his desk, Stephanie retreated slightly. Paul pressed his lips together. He stuffed his big hands in his trouser pockets.

"I was going to suggest that we should be discreet but if you think it's a bad idea to see one another at all then I respect that."

Stephanie's alarmed blue eyes went wide. Now Paul had the totally wrong impression. Respect what she said? He should just ignore it. She had to somehow fix this mess. As she gazed up at him, she realised she was breathing hard. Fuck it. She was useless with words. There was only one way to show him.

Unable to wait a second longer, she crossed the short distance between them. Stephanie's hands curled around his face as she boldly pulled Paul towards her. Her breath caught in her throat as their lips pressed together. Her lashes fluttered closed as she felt his mouth open, deepening the kiss. She melted into him, her knees trembling slightly underneath her. God, she wanted this so badly she could hardly breathe. Stephanie felt Paul's hands rest gently on her hips. She could feel the heat of his fingers through the cotton material of her blouse while inside her heart was hammering wildly. The kiss was everything she had imagined it to be and she had never experienced anything like it before. Paul made her feel so alive and wonderful. But all too soon she felt him pull away. Her mouth was wet and her lips felt swollen from his kiss. Her eyes opened as her hands dropped to her sides. Paul was staring at her. The poor guy actually looked gob smacked by her actions. She swallowed thickly, her body still throbbing in the aftermath. "I just wanted you to know that I can be the soul of discretion."

Paul's lips tugged upwards into a slow smile. "I'm glad to hear it." He paused for a second. His brown eyes searched hers. "So, does this mean you would be up for a discreet dinner sometime?"

"Yes."

"We can arrange something for the weekend if you like."

Stephanie's heart thumped in her chest. "I'd love to."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Stephanie quickly stepped away. She smiled at him almost shyly. "I'll see you later."

Paul winked at her just as the door opened. As she brushed past Nick, she ignored the curious glance he threw her way. He was the last thing on her mind right now. Smoothing down her blouse, Stephanie let out a calming breath. After all, she had to be the soul of discretion. Chuckling to herself she made her way back to her desk. She almost had to stop herself from skipping along the corridor. It was too good to be true. She was actually going on a date with Paul. Now all she had to do was wait for the weekend. In the meantime, she'd maybe take a look at that magazine article again. After all wasn't it her own mother that taught her it didn't hurt for a girl to be prepared. She was only being the dutiful daughter by listening to her advice and preparing herself for what could be the most important, most amazing night of her life.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Stephanie shivered slightly as she stepped out from the warmth of the small sandwich bar. The cold wind blew directly into her face as she tied the belt on her black woollen coat and stuffed her hands in her pockets. Libby walked beside her. Their heels clicked in time as they made their way along the busy sidewalk. They side stepped a large woman carrying a stack of books in her arms. She had them rested directly under her chin and she cursed as she tripped over a loose paving stone just under her feet. Stephanie turned and snickered at Libby. She always found it funny when it was someone else's misfortune. A car rumbled slowly past before slowing to a halt in the congested lunchtime traffic. They spotted a gap in between the vehicles and quickly crossed the street.

"It's fucking cold out here." moaned Libby. 

Stephanie looked towards her friend and nodded as they turned the corner into the next street. A fresh gust of wind blew her hair into her eyes. Feeling her cheeks numb with the cold, she pushed the loose strands back with her long fingers. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. A ladder was erected in front of her office building just down the block. Her nose scrunched in curiosity as she peered in that direction. There was a guy in overalls holding a string of lights in his hand as he stood on the bottom rung. He was obviously erecting the Christmas decorations even although there was still over seven weeks to go. Stephanie felt a quick rush of excitement. She absolutely loved Christmas. There was a definite kind of magic to it all. She wondered what Santa Claus would bring here this year. Something tall, blonde and naked in her stocking would be a real nice treat. 

"What are you smiling at?" 

Libby's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Stephanie shook her head as they came to the steps just outside the tall grey brick building. "Nothing." 

"Liar!" 

Stephanie's eyes narrowed in Libby's direction. 

"You were thinking of that hot boss of yours again, weren't you?" 

As Stephanie looked away shyly, her friend laughed and affectionately patted her back. "There's no use denying it Steph. It's written all over your face. But what I want to know is why I haven't met him yet. It's only fair I get to check him out for myself. It's a friend's prerogative, you know." 

"For goodness sakes, we haven't even gone out yet." replied Stephanie as she lifted up her wrist and checked her watch. Her blue eyes went wide as she saw the time on the square white face. "It's almost two o'clock Lib. You're never going to make it back to the bank in time."

Libby was a cashier at the local branch. She'd been there since she'd left school and she enjoyed her job and had no ambition to climb the corporate ladder. She was happy and content. She never worried about money. Then again it wasn't an issue. Her father owned a large car dealership and was hugely successful. His only daughter was the apple of his eye and he made sure she wanted for absolutely nothing.  
"Can I come in and wait for a cab?" 

Stephanie nodded as she placed her foot on the step. "I'll just call one for you."

As they made their way through the huge glass doors, Stephanie took her cell from her bag. The main foyer was busy and it was buzzing with conversation. She saw Violet reading a magazine as she ascended the marble staircase. She placed the phone to her ear wandering across to the small waiting area as she requested a cab to arrive as soon as possible. She brushed past the tall yucca plant. She could smell the fresh roses sitting in a vase on the small table. It was littered with magazines, most of them lying dog eared and open.

"They'll be here in five. I'll just wait here with you." Stephanie placed her phone back in her red shoulder bag. Dumping it on the seat just in front of her, she untied the belt on her coat. The warmth was beginning to heat her body up. Her cold cheeks were starting to tingle. 

"So where did you say you were going tonight?" 

Stephanie licked her lips. "It's Katie's leaving party. We're going to the bar down by the river." 

"It's nice in there. My cousin had her twenty first birthday party there. The price of the drink is pretty reasonable." 

"Well I hope so." sighed Stephanie as she brushed off a piece of fluff from her coat. "I don't get paid until next week and I'm in my overdraft already." As she looked distractedly around the lobby, she spotted his blonde locks immediately. Her blue eyes went wide and grabbing Libby's arm, she bowed her head. "Oh my God!" she hissed. 

"What?" 

"Don't look now but that's him!" 

"Who?" 

"Paul." 

"Where?" asked Libby eagerly as she looked to the side, her eyes scanning the busy office lobby. 

"He's standing by the reception desk. He's the one in the black suit." 

Libby turned her head and looked directly at Paul. Stephanie stared incredulously at her and smacked her arm. "I thought I told you not to look." 

But Libby wasn't paying her any attention. Her eyes were firmly fixed on the man leaning on the desk less than ten feet in front of her. "Holy shit Steph!" 

Stephanie tugged on her friend's arm in an attempt to take her attention away from Paul. Her jaw was practically hanging open. Another minute longer and there would be a pool of saliva at her feet. Not that she could blame her. Paul was quite the eye candy. Hell, she would have reacted the same way herself the first time she had met him if she hadn't been loaded and too wrapped up in her own misery to act normally. Just then she saw Paul laugh and say something to Lucy. A small smile traced her lips. His grin was so infectious. She wondered what it was that he found so amusing. It was probably the orange tinge to Lucy's skin. If he truly was a caring boss, he should be giving her some sound advice by telling her to tone her makeup down. After all, she did glow like a damn beacon.

Eventually taking her attention away from Paul, she shook her head at Libby. "Stop making it so obvious." she told her. 

Libby's eyes were wide when she eventually looked away. "She wasn't lying when he said he was fucking gorgeous."

"Who?" 

"Claire." 

Stephanie's mouth parted in surprise. "She told you about him already?" 

Libby nodded. "I had to get the dirt from somewhere. You certainly weren't about to tell me." 

"I was going to." Stephanie replied defensively. 

"Yeah well you were taking your sweet time about it." Libby glanced back over towards the reception desk. Thankfully Paul's back was turned. Stephanie saw her tongue run slowly over her bottom lip as she continued to admire him. "Jesus Steph, check out the ass. It's lovely and peachy." 

Stephanie was about to reply when Paul turned around. Fuck. She quickly spun towards the window pulling Libby with her. Her eyes squinted in the bright sunlight that poured through the glass. He had been practically looking right at them but with any luck he hadn't spotted them standing here.

"Shit Steph, he's coming over!" 

Stephanie's face screwed up in despair. Great! That was just her fucking luck. Libby should have never come in here. Now Paul would think she was a weirdo showing him off to her friends. Her shaking hands smoothed down her black wool sweater. "Make out you haven't noticed." she blurted as she pretended to laugh at something Libby said, inwardly kicking herself for how pathetic she sounded. She was bleating like a fucking sheep. Talk about humiliating herself. As she tried to casually tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, she could see Paul approach them out of the corner of her eye. She exhaled slowly through her parted lips bracing herself and racking her brains thinking what she was going to say to him. Lunch had ended five minutes ago. She was more than aware that she should be back sitting at her desk. Christ , she always found herself in these kinds of situations when he was around. Who knew what he thought of her although it couldn't be too bad. He was taking her on a date after all. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at that thought. 

"Hey." 

Stephanie found herself smiling as she heard his deep voice behind her. She loved his voice. She wondered what it would sound like whispering in her ear or better yet, calling out her name as she brought him to the brink. Shit. Now there was a thought she really shouldn't be having. Not with Paul standing in such close proximity to her. Still, she wondered if he was loud in bed. No. She had to stop this. It wasn't good for her and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. As she turned round to face Paul, she wondered if he noticed she was blushing. She cleared her throat and tried her best to look composed. She smiled at him. "Hey." 

Paul's lips upturned into a smile. Her heart skipped a beat. She always thought she remembered how good he looked until she saw him face to face. Her memory never did him justice. Today he looked just amazing. His blonde hair looked soft as it fell against his shoulders. His brown eyes looked dark as they sparkled at her. She'd never seen a man look so good in a suit before. It wasn't the fact they were so expensive. God only knows how much they cost. Probably more than she made in her salary each month. The one he was wearing right now looked practically brand new. But Paul could wear a rag and make it look good. He just had that aura about him. Not to mention the fact his body was amazing. She could only imagine what it looked like in all its naked glory. Feeling a sudden rush of warmth, Stephanie pushed back the collar of her jacket loosening it a little. 

"I'm Libby, by the way. I'm Stephanie's best friend." 

Stephanie pulled her eyes away, glancing towards Libby. She was holding her slim hand towards Paul. She saw him take it in his and shake it gently. God, his hand was so big Libby's had practically disappeared. Paul's skin was so soft. She wondered if Libby had noticed that.

"I'm pleased to meet you Libby. I'm Paul. 

"Oh I know who you are." she smirked.  
Stephanie threw her a glare but her friend was oblivious as she grinned at Paul. Her arm dropped to her side as he released her hand. Her head tilted sideways and gestured towards Stephanie, her wild curls bobbing around the top of her head. "You'll have to forgive my friend. Her manners aren't always the best." 

Paul's deep chuckle sent a tingle down Stephanie's spine. He looked at her and flipped her a wink. She felt her knees tremble slightly underneath her. Fuck, he was so damn sexy. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne.

"I think I seem to recall hearing that somewhere before." he said. 

Claire had made a comment like that when she had met him at the department store. Paul had obviously remembered although she shouldn't really be surprised he did. The man was like an elephant. He never fucking forgot much to her dismay at times. 

"Stephanie and I were out for lunch." 

Paul smiled. "I wondered." His brown eyes fell on Stephanie. "I was looking for you earlier. I wanted to go over the new ad campaign we discussed." 

"Well here I am." Stephanie said, lifting her hands, her voice higher pitched than usual. She saw Libby looking at her amused. She tried to discreetly throw a less than friendly look her way. She was well aware of how lame she had just sounded. Shit. She always did around Paul. He reduced her to a quivering wreck at times. Sometimes it was nerves. Most times it was just sheer bloody attraction. No-one had ever affected her this way. She lost her composure every time he flashed that amazing smile at her.

As Stephanie watched Paul's tongue dart quickly across his lips wetting them, she remembered the way they felt when he had kissed her. They had been so soft and warm. She wondered when he would kiss her again. Maybe she would have a chance tonight. God, she hoped so. She wasn't sure she could hold out for much longer. 

"I think that's my cab." 

Stephanie glanced towards the window. The bright yellow vehicle was parked by the curb. Libby adjusted her coat and picked up her bag which lay next to hers on the chair. 

"Are you still up for shopping tomorrow afternoon?" 

Stephanie nodded her head. Libby had agreed to help her find something to wear for her date with Paul. She had nothing suitable at home. God knows she'd tried on every outfit she owned over the past couple of nights. Nothing looked right. She wanted to look special. What she didn't want was to look like a fucking trolley dolly hence the reason why she was going with Libby and not Claire. She still hadn't forgiven her friend for that one. She had practically glared at her when she had handed back her red silk scarf. 

"I'll call you. Paul, it was nice meeting you." said Libby as she lifted her hand in a wave and quickly exited the building. Stephanie's eyes were on her as she ran down the front steps. 

"She seems nice." 

A smile traced Stephanie's lips as she watched Libby get in the cab. She slowly turned to Paul, nodding her head. "She is. Libby is a gem." She picked up her red bag which still sat in the chair. 

"So, do you have time right now to go over this ad campaign?" 

Stephanie nodded her head. Her blue eyes sparkled. Yeah, she had time. She had all the time in the world for Paul. 

"Shall we?" he asked gesturing towards the stairs. She nodded and felt Paul's hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards them. As she climbed the marble steps, she became conscious of his hand falling away. She could hear his footsteps just behind her. She smiled at a guy from accounts who passed her going down and heard Paul acknowledge him as she brushed against the brass banister at the top of the staircase, turning the corner towards the office. 

"So did you have a nice lunch?" asked Paul as he caught up with her and they walked along the brightly lit corridor. 

"Yes." she smiled. "I'm sorry you couldn't find me earlier." 

"Hey, it's not a problem. A girl has to eat right?" 

Stephanie smiled at him as they walked through the marketing department and towards his office. It was quieter than usual and she definitely wasn't complaining. Nick was at a meeting downtown. Mandy had the day off to visit the orthodontist. God, she would have had a cow watching her walk into the office with Paul. Her eyes would be popping out of her head right about now. Stephanie was almost sorry she wasn't here. Instead there was only Violet and she was too busy chatting on the phone. It was probably her boyfriend but she would be pretending it was someone else for Paul's benefit. She had learned only yesterday that Violet felt intimidated by Paul. She guessed it was his size. Violet would be lucky if she was five feet tall. 

Stephanie smiled at Paul as he opened the office door for her. Katie wasn't at her desk either. Stephanie recalled seeing her downstairs deep in conversation with Lily. Everyone was passing on their best wishes as today was her last day. Katie was still none the wiser about her surprise party tonight. 

"I've got the ad up on the computer." said Paul as he closed the door behind him.

Stephanie nodded and took off her coat. She tried not to feel disappointed that he had launched straight into talking business. She reminded herself that they were at work. Of course he would talk business. Paul was a professional. It was one of the things she admired about him. One of the many things. 

"Let me take that for you." he said holding out his hand towards her. Stephanie smiled and handed him her coat and bag. And of course Paul was also a gentleman. He knew his manners. Hopefully he left them behind at the bedroom door though. She was done with polite sex. She inwardly shuddered as she thought about Ben.

"Do you want to take my chair?" he asked.

Stephanie snapped her head up. All thoughts of Ben vanished from her mind as he smiled at her.

"It will probably be easier if you make any changes." He chuckled lightly giving her goose bumps. "Let's just say the computer and I are having trouble getting properly acquainted with one another." 

Stephanie laughed as she made her way behind his desk. The room smelled of air freshener and the spicy scent of his cologne. There was yet more paper littering his desk. There was also a desk tidy but it was empty. She saw at least four different pens scattered around. There was also an empty coffee cup sitting by the window ledge. 

"So what's the problem?" she asked as she looked at the screen. It was an ad for a health drink. She didn't know too much about it. It was Nick's project. Paul was obviously handling it with Nick being out of the office. She knew the deadline was tomorrow which was why Paul had stepped in. 

"I wondered if you could insert the slogan above the image rather than through it? I don't like the look of it." 

Stephanie could feel Paul standing behind her. She heard him rummaging around on the desk. She swallowed thickly and began editing the slogan. Her hands were shaking slightly. She was so aware of his presence. Her heart skipped a beat.  
"How's that?" she asked once she finally had it done. 

"Let me take a look." Paul looked over her shoulder at the computer screen. His hand brushed lightly against hers as it rested on the laminated desk. He was so close she could smell the mint on his breath. Stephanie's heart felt like it was going at a hundred miles an hour. Maybe he meant to touch her or maybe it was accidental. Whatever his intention, he was driving her crazy. "I don't know. I think the font for the slogan is too big." 

Stephanie cleared her throat as she clicked and highlighted the screen. She could feel his warm breath against her ear. Christ, he had hardly touched her and she was turned on beyond belief. Her body was actually throbbing. She reduced the font as she tried to stay composed. Her eyes remained fixated on the screen. 

"Yeah. That definitely looks better. If you print it off, we'll check it over." said Paul. Stephanie froze. His finger traced the back of her neck lightly before he suddenly stepped away. She swallowed thickly. He definitely meant to do that. There was no way that was accidental. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. He was teasing her and no doubt taking pleasure from it. She felt herself shiver with desire as she pushed back the chair and stood up. She slowly walked to the printer a few feet away. She looked at Paul out of the corner of her eye. He was flipping through a file not paying her the slightest bit of attention. She scowled as she began to retrieve the paper from the printer. He obviously thought he was clever. Cocky bastard. She quickly checked the prints through. 

"Its done." she said without turning around. 

As she straightened up, she felt Paul standing behind her. She could smell the heavenly scent of his cologne. He loosely held the top of the papers in her hand as he inspected them. She inhaled sharply as she felt his other hand slowly edge up her thigh. Okay. There was no chance in hell that was an accident. She licked her lips. Her body felt paralysed as he pushed up her short red skirt. His fingers rubbed gently across her flesh burning her skin. She stared straight ahead. She didn't know what the hell to do. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She knew what she wanted to do. Her body just couldn't move to co-operate. She bit down on her lip. His hand moved a little higher. She swallowed hard. She swore her heart was going to burst right out of her chest. 

"It's perfect." Paul said in a hushed whisper against her ear. Stephanie felt her legs wobble. Did he mean the papers or did he mean her leg? Suddenly he moved away again. Stephanie whimpered at the loss of contact. Her blue eyes were wide as she spun around dazed to see Paul pick up a file from his desk. 

"What the ……" Stephanie's voice trailed off. She couldn't even form a coherent sentence. She was confused as Paul's thick fingers straightened his deep purple tie. What on earth was he doing that for? She was mere seconds from ripping the damn thing off him. Not to mention several other items of clothing that honestly had no business being on him in the first place. Her breathing was heavy as he flashed one of those smiles her way. He tucked his hair behind his ear and took the papers from her hand. 

"Thanks. I need to take these with me." 

Stephanie stared at him in disbelief as he placed them in a file. He was on his way towards the door. He was actually going to just leave her. Suddenly he stopped and walked back towards her. Her mouth was opened with every intention of asking him what the hell he was playing at when he kissed her hard. Her heavy lidded eyes stared at him as he pulled away. He winked at her as she stood there breathless. "I'll see you tonight at the party."party."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Stephanie tottered in her heels along the street as Claire dragged her by the hand towards the pretty brick building. She felt slightly out of breath as she struggled to keep up with her. The light November wind blew through her soft curled hair. She had been in a constant rush to get ready since she had left work this afternoon. Now they were running half an hour late and it was all thanks to some spilled bubble bath and a damp bathroom floor. Of course putting a hole in her favourite red top hadn't helped her timekeeping either. She'd had to try on five other different outfits until she'd decided on the purple halter neck dress. It was the outfit she had worn to the office Christmas party last year. With a bit of luck, nobody would remember and fortunately her lilac thong had been clean. It definitely wasn't the kind of dress you wore comfortable underwear with. But she loved wearing it and the thin floating material disguised her less than toned figure.

As they approached the popular multi-floor bar, Stephanie admired the newly hung Christmas decorations. Coloured lights twinkled from the branches of the trees that aligned the gravelled pathway. A decorative Santa shone from one of the large sash windows. There was definitely a festive atmosphere to the place and it helped create the perfect mood for a party. 

"Are we going upstairs?" asked Claire. 

Stephanie nodded her head and followed on behind her. She pulled out her pink gloss from her purse in her hand and applied it quickly. She'd been chewing her bottom lip constantly since they'd left the train station. For some reason she felt a little nervous. The preparations for the party had been her sole responsibility. She just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and for tonight to be a success. As they made it to the top of the metal staircase, Stephanie could hear the laughter coming from the open door in front of them.

"Here we are." smiled Claire as she pulled on her arm. They entered the softly lit room. Some pop song she recognised was playing and people were dancing. Others were sitting at the tables or standing near the bar tastefully decorated in red and wood. She had to admit it looked pretty impressive. She loved the huge gilt mirrors hanging on the walls. Stephanie's hand batted away the bright pink balloon that had floated in her direction as she tried to discreetly scour the room for Paul. Call her pathetic but he was all she could think about. God knows she couldn't get him out of her head. His teasing this afternoon had only left her wanting even more. 

"Oh my God! There you are!" 

Stephanie turned her head to see Katie waddling towards them. Her chubby cheeks glowed as she smiled. She wore a red crochet top that hugged her prominent bump. Her hands reached out towards her and pulled her close. 

"Thank you so much." she whispered, her voice wavering with emotion. Tears were in her eyes as her hand gestured around the room. "Paul told me you had done all this. This really is amazing." 

"It was nothing, honestly." replied Stephanie feeling slightly embarrassed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mandy at the bar. Her piggy eyes were looking over in their direction. She should ask the nosy bitch if she wanted a fucking picture. 

"God I'm going to miss you guys so much." wailed Katie as her arms wrapped around Stephanie once again. She saw Claire smile apologetically and head across to the bar. This was just great. She was left with the hormonal pregnant lady again. It was only this afternoon she had found herself in the same situation. Katie had broken down in the ladies bathroom. Claire had deserted her leaving her to pick up the pieces.  
"P-promise me you'll stay in touch." she sniffed. 

"Of course." soothed Stephanie, smoothing down her hair. She heard Katie snort and make a strange sound. Shit. The slightest trace of snot on her dress and she would kill the girl. Pregnant or not, that was just disgusting. 

"Steph, I'm so scared." Katie lifted her head. Stephanie could see the fear in her big blue eyes. She couldn't help but feel a rush of sympathy for the poor girl. The gossip around the office was that Bill Bryce had gone back to his wife. He'd abandoned Katie and his unborn child to save his marriage. Fucking men! They were really the scum of the earth at times. They should be painfully castrated especially adulterating bastards like Bill. 

"I know but try not to worry too much, okay?" said Stephanie as she took a tissue from her purse and carefully removed the smudged mascara from Katie's cheeks. "It's not good for you or the baby." 

"I know." she sniffed. "Everything is going to be just fine, right?" Katie asked letting out a shaky breath. 

"Of course it is." Stephanie squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and smiled. "Now, smile and let's go and have a damn good time." 

"You're right." she replied. Her lips upturned in a smile. "It is my freaking party after all." 

"That's the spirit!" Stephanie grinned as she snapped her leather bag shut. She saw Violet rushing towards them. Her wild curls bobbed around the top of her head. She grabbed Katie by the arm and smiled at Stephanie. 

"You don't mind if I grab her, do you? Lily wants to show her the shawl she made." 

"Not at all." She smiled at Katie. "I'll catch up with you later." 

Katie waved as she disappeared with Violet. Stephanie jumped as she heard her friend's voice behind her. 

"Christ, that girl is reeking of perfume." said Claire. "It stinks too. It's like something you would use to clean out your toilet bowl." 

Stephanie laughed as she pushed a loose curl from her face. Her hand smoothed down her dress as she casually looked around the small dance floor. 

"He's behind you." smirked Claire knowingly as she handed her a drink. "That's a double by the way. I thought you might need it." 

Stephanie gratefully took the glass from her hand and tried to discreetly turn around as she sipped at her vodka. She grimaced as the sharp tang hit her tongue. What the fuck was in there? It tasted like lighter fluid.

"He's at the end of the bar standing with Nick and Motor Mouth Mandy. Down that and we can go and save him." 

Stephanie made a face. Was Claire crazy? She wasn't going over there. Not with Nick there. That bastard always found a way of cutting her down to size. 

"Come on Stephanie. Drink up." Claire pleaded. "Mr Buns is waiting for you." she teased in a sing song voice. 

"You know I wish you and Libby would stop calling him that." 

"Aw, you love it. And you know you love him." 

"Shut up." she glared feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. She swore Claire lived to taunt her. The girl was relentless. Just then the music changed and someone screamed loudly. She watched as a group of girls from accounts went rushing out on the dance floor. 

"Down that drink quickly will you? I want to get another one." 

Taking a deep breath, Stephanie took a couple of large gulps. She coughed and spluttered as Claire dragged her by the arm to the bar. Before she knew it she was standing just a few feet away. Her back was turned to him but her body still tingled knowing Paul was close by. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and tried to act composed as she pretended to check out the drinks list behind the counter. Her eyes had wept with her coughing and she wiped at them with her hand. Inside her heart was racing wondering if he would come over and talk to her. God, she wished he would. She was desperate to see him. She wondered what he was wearing tonight. Absolutely nothing if she had her way. 

"Aren't you going to talk to him?" asked Claire as she leant her arms on the cluttered bar. Her head followed the bar tender as she tried to get his attention. 

"I don't want to make it too obvious do I?" said Stephanie as she lightly scratched her head. "It's a secret, remember?"

"For God sakes, Steph! It's an office party. It would be weird if you didn't talk to him. Mandy is." 

"She fucking would." Stephanie muttered under her breath. She leant back and tried to shift her body slightly in his direction. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted to see him. 

"Shit. I need to go to the bathroom." said Claire as she pushed back her hair. "Will you get the drinks? I'll be back in a minute." 

Nodding her head, Stephanie watched her take off across the dance floor. Smiling, she lifted her hand to get the bar tender's attention. Of course he was ignoring her and being an ignorant bastard. Maybe she should flash him like Lucy was just to get his damn attention. 

"So you finally made it then." 

Stephanie's breath caught in her throat. Paul was behind her. She swallowed thickly as she turned round to face him. Her blue eyes met the smooth skin of his neck. She noticed a freckle on his collar bone and resisted the urge to touch it. 

"I take it you were running a bit late?" 

Stephanie lifted her head and saw his brown eyes twinkling at her. His lips were twitching with his smile. Sweet Jesus, he was sexy. She swore Paul got better every time she saw him. He had that cute hair behind the ear thing going on too and Christ, his cologne! She was going to find out the name of it so she could soak her pillowcase with it. "Are you surprised?" she smiled, pleased to find that although she was trembling inside, her voice was calm and steady. 

"No. Not really." Paul grinned as he leant his hip against the bar. He wore a black open neck shirt and trousers. Stephanie couldn't take her eyes off him. He was definitely born to wear that colour. "It seems to be a habit of yours." he teased. 

"It's not my fault though." she replied, biting down on her lip as she smiled. "I'm cursed you see." 

"Cursed?" 

Stephanie nodded, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "I'm a walking disaster area. Things just happen to me. Take tonight for example." 

"Why what happened tonight?" asked Paul. His voice was bubbling with his laughter. It sounded slightly different somehow. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was deeper maybe. Whatever it was, it was making her melt. She was in real danger of becoming a puddle on the floor. 

"Bubble bath." she said simply. 

"Bubble bath?" he chuckled, his nose scrunched in amusement. 

Stephanie nodded. "It spilled on the floor, which was already damp with water from the tub. The end result being that the bathroom and I were covered in foam." 

"Now there is something I would have loved to have seen." Paul winked at her. The colour rushed immediately to her cheeks. She suddenly felt hot. 

"Yes, well, it was pretty messy." she said. 

"I'll bet it was." His brown eyes stared at her intently as his finger brushed against her hand resting on the bar. 

Stephanie cleared her throat. If Paul was trying to kill her, he was definitely succeeding. Jesus Christ, it was hot in here. Somebody needed to turn the damn heat down. 

"When you're late tomorrow night at least I'll have an idea of what's happened to you." 

A shy smile crossed her face as she thought about their date. "I promise not to be. Late I mean." 

"To be on the safe side, I'm planning on picking you up at your door." he replied smiling. Paul turned towards the bar. He somehow managed to get the bar tender's attention. Maybe she should ask him to punch out his lights for ignoring her earlier on. "What can I get you, Steph?" 

You, she thought. "A vodka in a tall glass with ice, please." she said out loud. "Oh and can I have a straw with that?" 

Paul nodded and smiled. "A lady who knows what she wants. I like it." 

Stephanie's heart flipped in her chest as she watched him order and pay for their drinks. Some slow tune played clearing the small dance floor. She frowned as she spotted Claire talking with Ben. What the hell did he want? She never even thought about him being here. Then again, why would she waste a single moment on him when she had a guy like Paul standing right next to her? Forgetting all about Ben, she thanked Paul for her drink. Her blue eyes admired him as she sipped the vodka through her straw. 

"You've done an amazing job tonight, Stephanie." 

Stephanie blushed at the compliment, biting down on her lip as she smiled back at him shyly. God, she loved how he said her name. It was like nobody else said it that way. "Thank you." 

"You look really beautiful by the way." he said softly. 

Stephanie's cheeks flushed even hotter as Paul's eyes travelled over her slowly and deliberately. Her body was tingling all over. She didn't even know how long they stood there and chatted. She seemed to lose track of time when she was with him. She wasn't even sure how many drinks she had either. All she knew was that her head was pleasantly buzzing and she was really enjoying herself. 

"Can I get you another?" 

Stephanie nodded her head and placed her empty glass on the counter. "I'll be hung over tomorrow." 

"Then I'll just have to be gentle with you." said Paul winking at her before turning to the bar. Stephanie felt giddy. She wondered how many people had noticed them together. They were hardly being discreet after all. She had been chatting to Paul for ages. He was so easy to get along with and when she talked he gave her his full attention. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. That wasn't something she was used to. Not with the men that she usually found herself associated with. 

"Are you having a good time?" 

Stephanie inwardly groaned at the voice just behind her. Forcing herself to smile, she lifted her head and saw Mandy standing there. Her long black dress fit her snugly. Her harsh makeup made her eyes even smaller. "Yes I am." she replied. 

"I thought that." Mandy's face wore a smug expression as she smiled. Stephanie gripped her fist tightly. She really was a bitch. She'd probably even timed how long she had been with Paul. 

"Hey Mandy." Paul said as he placed their drinks on the counter. Stephanie smiled to thank him. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as he smiled back at her. 

"Hi Paul." 

Stephanie rolled her eyes. She was using that pathetic voice. The one she used with Nick when she was kissing up to him. 

"Stephanie was just telling me she was having a good time." 

Paul nodded as he placed his beer bottle to his lips. 

"She always does though, don't you Stephanie?" 

She narrowed her eyes wondering where the Mouth was going with this. 

"You really enjoyed the Christmas party last year. In fact, didn't you wear the exact same dress?" 

Resisting the urge to smack her right in the mouth, Stephanie pressed her lips together tightly. "Yes I did." She grabbed her purse that was sitting beside her on the counter and smiled at Paul. "If you'll excuse me for a second, I just need to freshen up."

Cursing Mandy under her breath, she marched to the bathrooms. Her mind was working overtime as she thought up various forms of torture. She swore she had deliberately set out to embarrass her. She really had a fucking nerve. Stephanie was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice the person standing in the stairwell. She jumped in shock as he came out of the shadows and stood directly in front of her. "Jesus Christ Ben! You scared me half to death." 

"Sorry." he said as he shuffled his feet. His blue eyes looked heavy. He looked pale and tired. She crossed her arms protectively under her chest. 

"What the hell are you doing anyway? Are you scoping out your next unsuspecting victim?" 

"I thought at least we could be civil with one another." 

"Civil? After what you did?" snapped Stephanie. 

"Look I know I screwed up, okay? I should have told you about Elise." 

"No shit Sherlock." 

"But I didn't because I was afraid of losing you if you knew about her." admitted Ben as he reached out to touch her. Stephanie stepped away. She didn't want him to touch her. She couldn't bear to have him near her. 

"I don't want to hear this." Her voice slightly trembled. 

"I wasn't lying last week when I told you I missed you." 

"Save it Ben. I'm not interested anymore." she said abruptly. She tried to push her way past him. Ben grabbed her arm and brought her back towards him. As he looked deep into her eyes, she found herself getting lost for a moment. 

"I'll leave Elise if that's what you want." 

Stephanie swallowed hard. 

"I just wanted you to know how I felt. How I still feel about you." 

Stephanie shook her head wondering why she was even listening to this. Ben was history. What they had, well it was over. How could she ever trust him after all the lies he had told her. Shaking her head slightly, Stephanie's angry eyes glared at him. "Cut the crap. It doesn't work on me anymore." she said as she tried to shake loose from his grasp. 

Ben held her tightly. His free hand reached up tangling his fingers in her hair. "Please Stephanie. I love you." He brought her face slowly towards his. As his lips brushed softly against hers, Stephanie's body froze. His stubble tickled her face. She realised his kiss no longer felt familiar to her. It felt strange and definitely uncomfortable. There wasn't the fission of excitement she felt with Paul. Paul. Shit.

Stephanie pulled sharply away. A cry escaped her lips as Ben's hand remained tangled in her hair. "Let go of me, you creep." 

"I can't. I'm stuck!" 

"What?!" Stephanie exclaimed staring at him in horror. "What do you mean you're stuck?" 

"I think my watch is caught in your hair." 

"Then pull it out." 

"It's fucking stuck." Ben's blue eyes were frantic. "We need get some scissors or something." 

"Are you nuts? You're not cutting my hair!" she shrieked. 

"Jesus Christ, Steph. Keep your voice down. Do you want the whole fucking office to see us?" 

"Why should it matter if you're leaving Elise?" she said abruptly. 

Ben's blue eyes glanced away. 

Stephanie snorted in disgust. "You're a liar Ben. Admit it. You never had any intention of leaving your wife. It's all a bunch of crap." He yanked his hand sharply and she gave a shriek. She stared at him angrily. "Asshole! All you want is a bit on the side. You're not getting it at home so you go for it elsewhere." 

"Will you keep your fucking voice down?" 

"What? Are you scared everyone will find out what a nasty two timing bastard you really are?" 

"Stephanie!" Ben warned, his blue eyes scanning the empty hall behind them as he tried desperately to untangle himself. 

"Not to mention a lousy lay." 

"Right that's it!" Ben suddenly froze as he cocked his head towards the hall. There were definitely footsteps approaching. As he moved, he yanked the strands of her hair. 

"Ow! Fuck!" 

"Shhhh!" he said sharply. 

Stephanie had opened her mouth to reply when she suddenly went light headed. Paul was standing in front of them. His brown eyes ran over them slowly. 

"Hey Paul." said Ben. Stephanie wanted to crawl in a corner and die. God knows what he was thinking. Shit. He looked totally pissed off and who could blame him.  
"It's not what you're thinking. My watch got stuck" 

Stephanie wanted to scream for him to shut up. Why the fuck did he feel the need to explain himself? It was only making things worse. Well, that's if they could actually get any worse. And right now, Stephanie honestly felt they couldn't. 

"It's none of my business." said Paul. His lips pressed together tightly. His face was blank and unreadable. His usual smile was gone. Stephanie suddenly felt the urge to cry. "I'm sorry for the interruption. I'll leave you guys to it." 

Suddenly he was gone. Stephanie felt her eyes gloss over. She furiously blinked back her tears and glared at Ben. "Look, will you just get your fucking hand out of my hair?" she said. 

Eventually Ben untangled himself. He picked a strand of her hair from his watch. "Think Levesque suspected anything?" 

Stephanie pushed back her hair and scowled at him. Her scalp tingled with pain. "Don't worry Ben. No one knows our dirty little secret." Feeling hurt and angry, she pushed him out of her way. 

"Stephanie! Wait!" he called out. 

She ignored him and rushed into the empty bathrooms. She locked herself in a cubicle and sat down on the seat. Suddenly Stephanie felt cold and shaky. She rubbed at the goose bumps that appeared on her arms and thought about the horrible mess she was in! How on earth was she meant to face Paul now? What the hell must he be thinking of her? Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. Stephanie closed her eyes and sighed knowing she had totally blown it this time. She could still see the look on his handsome face. Paul had been pissed off and definitely angry with her. God knows what would happen now. One thing was certain, there wasn't going to be a date. There wasn't going to be anything between them thanks to Ben. It seemed Lady Luck had decided to screw with her once again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Stephanie's chin rested in her hand as she sat alone at the table. Her eyes struggled to focus as she stared straight ahead and her head was spinning way too fast. It was all the strawberry vodka's fault. She should have never touched the stuff or those cute apple shooters that tasted like juice but were secretly little time bombs waiting to hit. Stephanie became faintly aware the music had stopped which meant the party was probably over. She sighed heavily. She really should go home but she wasn't sure she could move. The last time she had tried she had almost toppled over. Her shin had smacked against the table leg and sent her flying backward. Fortunately it had been towards her seat and she had landed back where she had started.

Pushing herself up straight, Stephanie raked her fingers through her curls. She peered blearily at the bar and saw it was empty. There was only the bar tender clearing up the glasses. Everyone else was gone. Where the fuck did they go? And where the hell was Claire? Probably making out with the guy she had been dry humping on the dance floor somewhere. What she wanted to know was what the hell she was playing at? She was supposed to be in love with Pete. She was marrying him for Christ sakes. Was nobody faithful in this fucking world anymore? Apparently not and she should know. She'd slept with an adulterating bastard herself. Benjamin Cordell. He was total fucking scum and she hoped his dick fell off and he rotted in hell. 

Deciding she had to leave before someone kicked her ass out, Stephanie reached under the table. Her hand scrambled for her bag on the floor. She hoped it was down there. Her keys and everything were in there. So was her money and she was desperate for some pizza. Pepperoni sounded good. Her fingers fumbled around the floor. God she hoped it was there. She was screwed if it wasn't. She bent even further down. Her fingers felt the leather strap and she gave an audible sigh of relief. Without thinking where she was, Stephanie lifted her head. She gave out a yelp as it smacked off the edge of the table. She heard the glasses clink together above her as the furniture rattled. 

"Are you okay?" 

Stephanie nodded at the kind voice. Her hand rubbed the back of her bowed head. "It hurts."

"No wonder. You gave it quite a smack."

She felt the leather bench seat shift as the person sat down next to her. As she lifted her head, she caught a whiff of his incredible cologne. "Paul." she whispered.

Her glazed eyes were wide as she stared disbelievingly at him. He was the last person she expected to be sitting there after the embarrassment he had witnessed tonight. She thought he had gone home. She hadn't even seen him the rest of the evening. But here he was now and damn he was so fucking sexy. She wondered if he knew that. Maybe she should tell him. God knows she needed to score some major points. She had totally fucked things up between them with her antics earlier on.

"I suppose you're here to tell me it's over between us." she slurred unable to help herself.

She felt herself sway slightly. Shit, she really was drunk. Stephanie licked her dry lips and blinked heavily as she tried to focus on Paul.

"It's okay, you know. I totally understand. I really do." Her hand touched his arm. It felt so firm and big. She'd never met anyone with arms as big as Paul's. They were huge. 

"Understand what?" he smiled. 

Stephanie looked at him confused. "That you hate me remember?" She sighed dramatically and dropped her hand to her lap. "You probably wish you'd never met me and I don't really blame you." 

"Now why on earth would I wish that?" 

"I don't know. Maybe because I'm a walking fucking disaster." Stephanie swallowed thickly. Her head was a little woozy. Her hand rubbed at her face before pushing her hair away.

"Well I have to admit it. You really do have shit luck." Paul chuckled. Stephanie scowled at him unimpressed. She was glad she was such a constant source of amusement to him. Shame she didn't find it funny. 

"See? I'm just a joke to you." she pouted. She crossed her arms defensively across her chest. Paul had stopped laughing now. His brown eyes were gentle as he looked at her. 

"Trust me, Stephanie. You're not a joke." 

She sighed heavily and threw her hands dramatically in the air. "Then why do these things happen to me, Paul? Why do I get myself in such a mess? I mean look at what happened tonight." 

"Time to go home people." the big voice boomed. It was the bar tender. Stephanie glared in his direction and shook her head, her curls shifting across her bare shoulders. 

"Excuse me but I'm trying to have an important conversation here." 

"And I'm trying to get home lady so take it somewhere else." he snapped as he began to collect the glasses at their table. 

"There's no need to be so rude." The bar tender threw her a glare before carrying the glasses away. She felt Paul tug on her arm lightly as he stood up from the seat. 

"Come on, Steph. Let's go." 

Her eyes were wide as she turned to look up at him. "But did you hear the way he spoke to me?" 

"Yes I did." said Paul.

He held out his hand towards her. Stephanie happily took hold of it. She wasn't entirely sure she could stand up on her own plus she loved the feel of his skin. It was so soft and warm.

"Want me to punch his lights out?" he joked as he pulled her to her feet.

Stephanie nodded her head and grinned. She grabbed her bag from the seat and quickly smoothed down her dress. "You could definitely take him." she said as she tottered unsteadily behind him.

"Yeah. With my eyes closed." Paul called out loudly as he glared in the bar tender's direction. Stephanie smiled as she watched the stocky man disappear behind the bar. Paul still held her hand as they walked to the door. For some reason it made her grin like an idiot. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Shit. She didn't know anymore and really she didn't care. Paul was here and that was all that mattered to her. She just prayed she hadn't ruined things completely between them. After all he was with her now and that was a good sign.

They approached the metal winding staircase. Stephanie's eyes searched around for Claire. She was definitely gone. She could only see a couple of people left. God, how long had she been sitting there like a moron all on her own? 

"Now watch yourself going down here. I don't want you breaking a leg or anything." said Paul. 

Stephanie shook her head and jutted her jaw out defiantly. "I'm perfectly fine, you know."

She descended a couple of steps and turned to smile at Paul smugly. He shook his head in amusement just as her heel clipped the edge of a step and she lost her footing. Her body went flying backwards. "Shit." she cursed. Fortunately Paul's tight grip on her hand somehow kept her on her feet. Her breathing was heavy as she balanced on the step precariously. 

"You were saying?" he teased. Paul pulled her towards him. She felt his arm slide around her waist. She leant against him gratefully. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as her eyes stared at the tiled floor below them. 

"It's a long way down there, huh?" she said. 

She felt Paul's body shake with his laughter. "It would have definitely been messy. Now hold on to me and let's try and get you down here in one piece." 

Stephanie wrapped her arm around his waist. Her other hand gripped hold of her bag tightly as they slowly began to descend the steps. 

"Are you okay?" asked Paul. 

Stephanie nodded her head. Her blue eyes were wide. Her heels clicked loudly against the steel grating on the steps. If she wasn't haunted by the image of plunging to her death, she would be enjoying this. She could feel Paul's hand resting on her hip. It felt so nice and warm. But shit she was scared. Her hand gripped hold of Paul a little more tightly. Her whole body felt tense. "We should have taken the elevator." she said. 

"There isn't one." 

"Well there should be." 

Paul laughed. "We're nearly there." 

Stephanie let out a calming breath as she descended the bottom step. Her legs felt shaky as she walked out the front entrance. 

"Now there are steps here too so keep hold of me." 

Stephanie nodded her head. Like that was a hardship. Now she had survived the stairway from hell, she could fully appreciate how good it felt to have Paul's arm wrapped around her. God, he felt so firm and she could even smell his hair. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face up towards him. She breathed in deeply. Even his hair was amazing. It smelled so clean and fresh. "It's really lovely." she smiled. Her heels crunched along the gravel pathway. 

"What is?" 

"Your hair." she sighed. Stephanie opened her eyes. Shit. The fresh air was making her head spin again. And people said getting out in it was good for you. What a bunch of crap. As they turned into the street, she felt Paul's arm fall from her waist. She tried not to feel disappointed as she let him go and tottered towards the bright lights of the busy city. 

"Can I ask where you are going?" 

Stephanie flicked her curls across her shoulder. She noticed the stars were out tonight. They looked really pretty. "I'm going home." she said.

She felt Paul's hand take hold of hers. He tugged and pulled her towards him. Her blue eyes stared at him widely. 

"Home is that way." he said chuckling as his big arm gestured in the opposite direction. 

"I knew that." she snorted indignantly. She pushed a stray curl from her face. "I was just getting some pizza first." 

"You're hungry?" asked Paul. 

Stephanie nodded and pulled on his hand. "Marcello has the best pepperoni ever. Come on or he'll be closed."

She tugged on his hand. As they walked along the street, she felt his fingers slide through hers and a delighted smile crossed her face. Half an hour later she had her pizza. They were sitting on a bench in the small gardens next to the library. The cardboard box was on her lap and Paul's jacket was draped around her shoulders. Despite not feeling the cold, he'd insisted she put it on. He really was the sweetest man. In fact Paul was a perfect gentleman.

"You were my handsome stranger you know." she said before taking a bite of pizza. She chewed savouring the taste. It really was to die for. 

"I was, was I?" Paul asked. 

Stephanie nodded as she swallowed her food. Paul was smiling at her. She didn't know why he was being so nice to her. Not after what had happened earlier on. God, she was lucky he was even talking to her. What the hell must he be thinking? She sighed and threw her uneaten slice of pizza into the box. She had suddenly lost her appetite and she licked her greasy lips. "But then you became my boss and now look. Everything is fucked up."

She threw the box down on the bench beside her. She stretched her long legs out in front of her.

"I can't even bribe you with lingerie to get out of this one either." 

"Wait a second. You would bribe me with lingerie?" chuckled Paul. 

Stephanie nodded. Her head was spinning again. Her eyelids blinked heavily as she struggled to focus. "Mmhmm. I was going to when I thought you would fire me." 

"Really? Shit! I wish I'd known." 

Stephanie's glazed blue eyes went wide as she turned to him. "You wouldn't have fired me though, would you?" 

"Well that depends on the lingerie." he teased. "What kind was it?" 

"It was black lace." she rambled as she pushed her hand through her messy curls. She shifted in her seat to face Paul. He looked so breathtakingly handsome sitting there in the moonlight. 

"Then I definitely wouldn't have fired you." he said softly. 

"Really?" 

Paul shook his head and smiled. 

"Are you going to fire me on Monday though?"

"If I said yes, would you promise to wear the lingerie this time?" 

Stephanie smacked his arm. "Paul, I'm being serious here." 

"I'm sorry." he smirked. 

"I love my job you know." 

"I know you do." 

"And I would really hate to lose it." She paused and swallowed thickly. Her stomach felt slightly queasy. Shit. The last thing she wanted was to puke in front of Paul. 

"You're not going to lose your job, Stephanie." 

She smiled at him gratefully. Her nausea was forgotten as she looked into his eyes. "Not even after what happened with Ben tonight? Because honestly, it wasn't what you think Paul. I told him I wanted nothing to do with him but he just wouldn't listen. Then his watch got caught. See, that was why you saw us that way. He tried to kiss me. He tried to tell me he would leave Elise. Of course that would never happen. He's just looking for sex. And even that's not any good. He's scum, Paul and I wouldn't go back to him if he was the last man on earth. Do you believe me? Please tell me you believe me!" she pleaded. Her blue eyes were wide as they frantically searched his face. Her shoulders rose and fell with her rapid breathing.

Paul placed his hand on her arm and smiled. "Yes I believe you now slow down and take a breath." 

"You do believe me? Are you sure?" 

"Yes." he chuckled. 

"I just thought you thought there was something going on because you looked really pissed off. I really thought I'd blown it. And then you went and disappeared for the rest of the night. I tried to find you but then Claire got me this strawberry vodka stuff……" Her voice trailed away and she sighed heavily. 

Paul's brown eyes were gentle as his fingers reached up and pushed her curled locks from her face. "I acted like a jerk. I'm sorry." 

Stephanie shook her head vehemently. "You weren't a jerk, Paul. You had every right to be angry considering what you saw. But nothing happened with Ben. I swear to you." 

"Yeah, well once I calmed down I realised that." He shrugged and smiled. "I guess being a typical guy, I didn't like anyone invading my turf." 

She grinned drunkenly. "So I'm your turf, huh?" 

Paul chuckled. "Well something like that." 

"I've never been anyone's turf before. I'm not sure what it entails." 

"Well, wearing that lingerie is a start." he grinned, raising his eyebrows suggestively. 

Stephanie's tongue poked between her teeth as she smiled and leaned towards him. Her hand rested on his thigh and she could feel her whole body tingling. "I'll wear it for you tomorrow night if you like."

She saw Paul's eyes widen with surprise. She bit down on her lip and sat back quickly. Shit. She was being way too forward now. Stephanie removed her hand from his leg and she consciously tugged down the hem of her dress. "Not that I'm easy." she added hastily. "I don't want you to get the wrong impression or anything." 

Paul's body shook with his laughter. His deep chuckle echoed around the silent garden. She frowned at him confused. What the hell had he found so funny now? 

"What?" she scowled. She blinked rapidly. Her stomach had thankfully stopped churning but her head still felt woozy. Great! She knew was going to feel like total shit tomorrow. Fucking apple shooters! She was never touching them again. 

"You know I've never met anyone quite like you, Stephanie." 

Stephanie snorted loudly as she leant back against the bench. "Thank God for small mercies, huh? I cause nothing but trouble you know. Or trouble follows me. I told you I was cursed." 

"Cursed or not, I'm really glad I met you." 

Stephanie's lips parted with surprise at his admission. Her heart flipped in her chest. "You are?"

Paul nodded and smiled. He took hold of her hand. Stephanie stared into his eyes and found herself getting lost in them. "Maybe it's because from the moment you opened your mouth on that tube I was gripped by you." 

"Gripped by me?" she asked in disbelief. 

"Gripped by you." he repeated simply. 

Stephanie couldn't stop the wide grin that slowly crossed her face. She probably looked like a drunken lunatic but right now she didn't care. Paul was gripped by her. Gripped! By her! That was practically telling her he liked her. Hell, maybe he even liked her a lot. Oh my God! This was all too good to be true. Screw her parents' advice about never talking to a stranger. If she hadn't opened her mouth on that train, she knew she wouldn't be sitting here now. It was obvious she was meant to find out that Ben was a cheating bastard. She was meant to get drunk and spill her guts. She was meant to grip Paul before he became her boss which meant they were obviously destined to find one another. As that thought blissfully rolled round in her head, Stephanie felt Paul's lips brush against hers. Melting against him she returned his sweet kiss. Fate really and truly was a wonderful thing.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Stephanie frowned at the strange crackling noise as she pulled the straightening irons through her hair. Suddenly there was a loud bang and she let out a frightened screech, instantly letting go of them. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as they clattered against her wooden dresser. Her blue eyes stared in disbelief as they surveyed the straighteners cautiously. A thin veil of smoke had emerged from the cable and it appeared the damn things had blown up on her. Fuck. This was the last thing she needed tonight.

Stephanie quickly pulled out the plug and as she straightened up, she glanced at the large chrome edged mirror in front of her. She let out a loud groan at her reflection. The left side of her hair was sleek and smooth while the other side was a mass of waves and kinks. Stephanie shook her head in total dismay. What a fucking disaster and Paul was meant to be here in fifteen minutes. He was taking her on their date. Their very first date! Now here she was looking like the before and after for some lame hair product advertisement. Stephanie backed slowly towards her bed and sighing heavily, she pushed her fingers through her hair. She honestly felt like crying right now. As if today hadn't been bad enough what with her hangover and losing her credit card. Thankfully she'd already purchased her outfit for her date but now that was totally wasted. There was no way she could go out tonight looking like this!

Pulling the belt tighter on her pink terry towelling robe, Stephanie threw herself back on the mattress. What the hell was she going to do now? Her blue eyes stared up at the cracked white ceiling in despair. A few seconds later the doorbell rang. Stephanie bolted upright and felt a spasm of panic. Paul. He was early. Fuck! What the hell was she meant to do now? She couldn't answer the door looking like this. God knows a girl had her dignity. As she racked her brains thinking of a way to get out of this, she heard the voice through the open bedroom window. 

"Stephanie Marie, answer your goddamn door. It's fucking freezing out here!" 

A huge smile crossed Stephanie's face. Libby. She would know exactly what to do. Rushing from the bedroom, she bounded down the staircase. She hid behind the door as she opened it. There was no need for the whole neighbourhood to witness the state she was in. "Hurry up." she hissed to Libby.

"I wanted to come over to wish you luck." Her friend beamed at her as she walked into the small hallway.

Stephanie closed the door behind her. Libby was shaking her head at her, her wild curls bobbing around on her head. Her smile was replaced with a frown as she unzipped her padded coat.

"What the hell are you playing at? Why aren't you ready yet?" 

"My hair straighteners just blew up on me." whined Stephanie.

Libby threw her a sympathetic look. Her friend understood and knew she couldn't survive without them. Stephanie suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cry. She'd been on such a high about her date all afternoon and now the whole thing was ruined before it had even started.

"I'll have to call Paul and cancel." she mumbled sadly as she wandered slowly back up the staircase, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet. 

Libby followed on behind her. "You can't cancel, Stephanie. The poor guy will be on his way over here already." 

"Well I can't go out looking like this!" she replied incredulously as she walked into her untidy bedroom and flopped back onto the bed. The new black basque top she had purchased hung on the back of the door along with the matching chiffon trousers. The diamonte heels she'd spent over a hundred dollars on finished off the outfit perfectly. She had even bought new lingerie and perfume. She had planned to knock Paul dead tonight. Shame she wouldn't get the chance now. Stephanie grabbed her pillow and groaning loudly, she buried her face into it. 

"Don't do that! You'll ruin your makeup!" Libby cried as she yanked Stephanie up by the shoulder. 

"What does it matter?" she pouted. "I'm not going anywhere." 

"Don't be ridiculous. Just put your hair up. I know you don't like wearing it that way but really you've got no choice." Libby's eyes began to scour the messy bedroom. "Where the hell are those curling tongs we used last night?" 

"I think they're in the bathroom." 

"Well go and get them." said Libby as she pulled off her coat. She frowned at Stephanie who still sat on the bed. "Come on! You don't have all night you know." 

Stephanie groaned in protest but she felt her spirits begin to lift as she shuffled through the small bathroom. Okay, she was probably being a drama queen over the whole hair thing but tonight was really important to her. In fact it meant everything to her especially after last night. Stephanie smiled as she grabbed the curling irons from the small stainless steel trolley in the corner. She slowly wandered back to the bedroom and her smile widened. Paul was gripped by her. She still couldn't believe he had said that to her. It was like something out of a romance novel especially when the moon had been shining and the stars twinkling brightly above them. Okay they had both been freezing to death and she was drunk off her ass but hey, romance wasn't perfect. The kiss had been though. It had been the sweetest and the most wonderful kiss. God, she was practically melting just thinking about it. 

"Steph, for God sakes. What are you doing in there?" 

Libby's shout brought her out of her funk. Stephanie rushed through to the bedroom. Ten minutes later she was smiling at her reflection. She no longer looked retarded. In fact, she didn't look half bad. She turned and grinned at Libby. "You're a life saver, Lib." She gave her a twirl. 

Libby grinned back. "You look amazing, Steph." 

"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked as her stomach began doing cartwheels. Her nerves were suddenly kicking in. She glanced at her stainless steel watch. It was eight o'clock on the dot. Shit. Paul would be here any second. Now she really was getting nervous. God, she prayed tonight went well. She was going to be on her best behaviour. She wasn't going to embarrass herself. God knows, that's all she seemed to do in front of Paul lately. Just then the doorbell rang making her jump. Stephanie almost couldn't breathe. Her wide blue eyes stared at her friend. "Shit, Libby. He's here. What am I going to do?" 

"Well answering the door would help." laughed Libby. 

Stephanie turned to look at her reflection one last time. She flicked her tongue across her teeth and checked them to make sure there were no remnants of her lipstick left on them. "God, Libby. My stomach is eating itself right now." She grabbed her little black bag from the dresser. 

"Steph, you'll be fine." Libby placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Now go and have a really good time with Mr Buns. I'll lock up for you." 

Stephanie scowled as she picked up the black coat draped across her chair. "You know I really wish you would stop calling him that." 

The doorbell rang again. Libby pushed her friend out the bedroom. "Get out of here, will you?" 

Stephanie lifted her hand in a wave and pulling on her coat, she cautiously made her way down the stairs in her heels. Even the alcohol last night hadn't erased the stairway of hell from her mind. She'd almost plunged to her death. She wasn't taking any risks tonight. 

"Call me if you can." called Libby after her. 

"I will." she replied as she stood at the bottom of the stairs and letting out a calming breath, Stephanie opened the door. Paul was standing there. Her heart thumped in her chest. He looked absolutely gorgeous in an open necked white dress shirt and leather coat. His soft blonde strands were blowing in the light wind. She could smell his cologne. It was different to the one he usually wore but it was just as incredible. He smiled at her and she felt her nerves float away like bubbles in the air. 

"Hi." he said. Paul's beautiful brown eyes twinkled at her. "You look stunning by the way." 

"Thank you." Stephanie blushed as she closed the door behind her. 

"And you're on time too. I feel extremely privileged." 

"You should be." she laughed. "I barely made it by the skin of my teeth." 

"Do I even want to ask?" he teased. 

"It's probably better if you didn't." she grinned. 

"In that case, your chariot awaits Madame." Paul gestured towards the black Escalade sitting a few feet from them. The streetlights illuminated the immaculate bodywork. Stephanie's mouth parted in surprise. 

"You have a car?" she asked. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk as she walked towards the vehicle. 

Paul snorted. "It's not just a car. I'll have you know this is the ultimate driving experience." 

"But you take the train."

"It's much easier than parking in the city." He pressed the key in his hand. The vehicle unlocked. He opened the passenger door and smiled at Stephanie. 

"Thank you." she said. She sat in the leather bucket seat. Paul closed the door behind her and smiling, she rested her bag on her lap. He really was a gentleman. No man had opened and closed the car door for her before. And what a car this was. Stephanie admired the immaculate cashmere interior. She gasped as Paul got in beside her. "You've even got a dvd player in here." 

"I know. It's cool, huh?" he grinned as he started up the engine.

The dash lit up in a warm orange glow. Stephanie shook her head amused. Paul was like a proud little boy right now. He obviously loved his car or whatever it was he had called it. She had to admit she couldn't blame him. It really was beautiful and no doubt ridiculously expensive. Paul was definitely not short of a dollar or two not that she gave a damn. He could be a pauper for all she cared.

As they pulled down the street, Stephanie pulled back the collar of her coat. Damn, it was warm in here. Being in such close proximity to Paul was playing havoc with her senses. She was burning up. She would open a window but there were that many damn buttons she wouldn't know which one to press. Suddenly she felt a strange sensation and she shifted uncomfortably on the seat. "Paul, why is my ass burning up?"

He chuckled as he turned the corner. "The seats are heated. You want me to turn it off?" 

Stephanie nodded her head and smiled at him gratefully. 

"Our dinner reservation is at eight thirty by the way. It's a nice place. I hope you like it." 

"I'm sure I will." she smiled and turned and looked out the tinted glass window. The bright lights of the city passed her by and she felt her stomach churn in nervous anticipation. This was going to be a perfect date. She just knew it.

Twenty minutes later they were standing in the foyer waiting to be seated. Paul held her hand as she gazed towards the restaurant. It seemed busy with people seated at practically every table. Stephanie admired the ornate room which was surrounded by pillars but it was the large glass dome ceiling which caught her eye. She could see the stars in the black sky above. God, it was so romantic. The whole place had an intimate feel to it. She'd never been here before. She hadn't even known it had existed even although it was smack bang in the centre of the city. She was about to ask Paul if he had been here before when the woman with blonde hair and a red jacket caught her eye. Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as she tugged on Paul's hand to get his attention.

"I think we might have a problem." she whispered. 

Paul looked at her curiously. "Why? Don't you like it here?" he asked. 

Stephanie shook her head. "That's not the problem." She looked towards the restaurant area. "She is." 

"Who?" 

"See the lady in the red jacket three tables down on the left? She's blowing her nose with the napkin." 

"You know that's fucking rude." 

Stephanie couldn't help but chuckle. "Paul, it's not funny. That's Eleanor, Nick's wife." 

"Hmmm, okay. But I don't see Nick with her." 

"The chair beside her is empty. He's probably in the bathroom or something. What if he comes out and sees us together?" Stephanie turned to Paul. He was staring ahead thoughtfully. His brown eyes were narrowed in Eleanor's direction. 

"I see what you mean. That could be a bit of a problem." 

"Do you think we should make a run for it before he comes back?" 

Paul turned to her and grinned. His brown eyes sparkled at her mischievously as he shook his head. "I like to live dangerously not to mention the fact I'm absolutely starving. I say we stay and take our chances. Besides they're preparing our table right at the back. Nick will never see us." 

"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked. 

"Absolutely." he smiled.

Suddenly he pulled her behind the pillar hiding her from view. The large yucca plant tickled her face. Stephanie's blue eyes were wide as she stared at him curiously.

"Nick is walking back to his table." said Paul as he pulled her closer towards him.

Stephanie's heart was thumping in her chest. She didn't know if it was being so close to Paul or the whole stress of the situation. Probably both but damn, he smelt wonderful. 

"Did he see you?" she asked. 

Paul shook his head as he peered through the leaves of the plant. "He's putting on his coat. They must be leaving." 

"Maybe we should run outside." 

"Too late. They're coming this way." 

Stephanie licked her dry lips. "What are we going to……?"

She didn't get a chance to finish her question as Paul pulled her close and placed his mouth over hers. She moaned softly as he took her breath away. Butterflies danced in her chest as his lips parted, deepening the kiss. She didn't know how long they'd been standing there like that. She placed her hand over her chest as he broke the kiss. Her mouth was wet and the blood was beating in her ears. Her entire body was throbbing. 

"They're gone now. I don't think they saw us." smiled Paul as he stepped back. Stephanie's heart was still pounding madly. 

"Sir, your table is ready now." said the waiter as he appeared out of nowhere. "Please come this way." 

Paul took her hand as Stephanie followed on behind him. She saw a middle aged couple at a table glance across at them. She was sure she was smiling widely and probably looked like a flustered idiot. She didn't care. She was here with Paul. Nothing else mattered. She thanked the waiter as he pulled out her chair. She sat down and placed her bag at her feet.

"So, what would you like to drink?" asked Paul. 

Stephanie grimaced and shook her head. "I think I'll stick to water if you don't mind." 

Paul chuckled as he picked up the leather bound menu and opened it. "Are you feeling a little delicate after last night?" 

"Maybe." blushed Stephanie. She began to flick through her menu. 

"You won't be the only one that is." 

"I'm probably the only one that made a fool of myself though." she frowned and sighed softly. 

"You didn't make a fool of yourself, Stephanie." he said in a gentle tone. She smiled at him gratefully. She had but it was sweet of him to try and reassure her. "But if it makes you feel better, a certain someone threw up in the ladies bathrooms." 

She placed down her menu on the table intrigued. "Who was it?" 

Paul shook his head. "I really shouldn't gossip about my staff." He glanced back down at his menu. "Mandy." 

"Oh my God!" She snorted with laughter and hastily stifled it. Stephanie quickly busied herself in her menu. This was a nice place. She didn't want people looking over at them plus she had promised herself not to embarrass Paul tonight. She didn't want this to be their first and only date. 

"It would probably be humiliating for her if word was to get out about it." 

Stephanie looked up to see Paul smirking at her. "Maybe I should send out a company e-mail." 

Paul laughed as the waiter came to take their order. He also requested a bottle of wine. It was Chardonnay. Her favourite and it certainly wasn't cheap. He winked at her as the waiter left. "In case you change your mind about having that drink." 

Stephanie smiled at him. Maybe she would have one. After all it would be rude not to. Besides, hair of the dog and all that! 

"So, tell me about yourself, Stephanie." 

She smiled at him shyly as she fluffed up her napkin and placed it on her knee. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything." he said simply. His thick forearms rested in front of him. 

Stephanie smiled and began to talk. Two hours later Paul was driving her home. She felt nice and warm thanks to the heated front seat or was it the fact she'd finished that bottle of wine? She wasn't entirely sure but she knew she'd had a wonderful time. Despite the disaster with the hair straighteners and seeing Nick at the restaurant, everything else had been totally perfect. It had been the best first date of her life.

"Thank you for tonight." she said shifting in her seat as the car stopped at the traffic lights. The wipers cleared the windscreen of the heavy rain that had just begun to fall. Soft music played on the radio. She had asked Paul to change it when they had left the restaurant. God knows she couldn't listen to that racket he had playing. 

"You're welcome." he smiled.

His hand reached across and rested on her thigh. He squeezed it gently. His fingers burned her skin through the light material of her trousers. The lights changed to green but his hand remained on her leg. His thumb was making a small circular motion and was quite literally driving her crazy. Was it so wrong that he could affect her this badly? Surely she should have some self control for goodness sakes. As his hand crept up her leg, Stephanie swallowed thickly. But when it came to Paul, she knew she was absolutely hopeless. Absolutely hopeless and falling for him hard and so fast it actually scared her. She had never experienced feelings like this before in her life. Feelings that had completely overwhelmed her. 

"This is you." Paul said as he pulled into the kerb. Stephanie realised she was home as he switched off the engine. The rain fell rhythmically against the windscreen as he turned in his seat to face her. His hand still rested on her leg. The raindrops cast tiny shadows across his handsome face. "I really had a good time tonight, Stephanie."

"So did I." she smiled. Her heart beat in her chest and she couldn't help think that if Paul had a good time maybe he would ask her out again. God, she hoped so. She really did. Would it be too forward if she asked him in for coffee? It probably would especially when she'd practically thrown herself at him last night when she'd offered to wear that lingerie for him. 

"Well, maybe we could have a good time again really soon." 

Stephanie nodded and smiled widely. Paul sounded quite shy. He really was so sweet. "I'd like that." she replied.

His face moved towards her and his hand cupped her cheek. His eyes closed as his mouth pressed firmly against hers. Stephanie sighed softly as she melted into his kiss. His hand gently squeezed her leg while his thumb traced her cheek. Her heart pounded wildly as his mouth opened hers. Paul's beard felt rough against her face. Stephanie allowed her fingers to reach across and tangle in his hair. The strands felt so soft on her fingertips. Suddenly she couldn't have him close enough. He began to kiss her deeply. Her body tingled as his hand moved to her neck. Stephanie moaned into his mouth as his tongue brushed against hers. Her body was throbbing all over wanting more of him. As his lips found her neck, Stephanie found she struggled to breathe. Her hand fell from his hair and her eyes fluttered open as they gazed at the steamed up window. "Do you want to go inside?" she whispered as his tongue flicked and tasted her skin.

Paul lifted his head. Stephanie's chest rose and fell with her heavy breathing. "Actually Steph, I probably should go." 

"You don't have to." she said thickly. "You don't have to stay long."

As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, Stephanie realised she was mad. What was she suggesting? That he stayed long enough for her to rip his clothes off and sleep with him? It made her sound desperate and quite frankly she was. She had never wanted someone so badly and so desperately. Her blue eyes searched his handsome face eagerly.

"Look I don't want to leave but I think it's for the best." said Paul as he removed his hand from her leg and slid his fingers through hers. Stephanie gripped it tightly. 

"So, I guess I'll just see you Monday." she said. His brown eyes were staring at her intently. She inhaled his cologne. It was intoxicating just like Paul. 

"I guess you will." He smiled at her softly and his hand reached up pushing a loose curl behind her ear. His hand lingered on her cheek. "I meant what I said though. I'd really like to see you again, Steph." 

"Me too." she smiled. 

"Maybe next weekend?" 

"I'd like that." she nodded. 

"We could see a movie or something and take it from there." Stephanie felt his fingers caress her jaw before Paul leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. He pulled back and smiled. "Goodnight Steph." 

"Goodnight Paul." she replied as she grabbed her bag and opened the passenger door. The rain instantly froze her skin as she stepped out onto the road. She gave him a final wave goodbye before the door closed and she rushed to her door. It was only when she was safely inside that she heard the car slowly pull away. Stephanie smiled as she unbuttoned her coat and Paul's words rang in her ears. We'll take it from there. Surely that had to mean something. God knows she wanted it to. More so now than ever after everything that had happened tonight. Until then she'd be the soul of discretion at work. She couldn't risk anyone finding out the truth about her and Paul. Her and Paul. God, that sounded like absolute heaven! Now all she had to do was find a way of surviving until next weekend and try her best to resist mauling Paul in the process. It would be hard but she'd find a way to do it.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The back of her thighs hit against the wooden desk. Stephanie's entire body throbbed as Paul pushed up her short blue skirt. His big hand was rubbing her leg. She was struggling to form a single coherent thought as his hot mouth descended on her neck, sucking gently on her skin. God knows she wanted Paul so badly. She'd never felt need like this for a man before. Her whole body was crying out for him, desperate for his touch. As his fingers moved further up her leg, Stephanie needed to feel him. Her fingers tugged on his shirt, yanking it from his dark grey trousers. Her hand trailed up and down his back. His skin felt soft and hot against her palm. Paul smelled so incredible too. Her nails lightly scratched his skin as she moved her hand round to his chest. It was smooth and so firm. She could feel it rise and fall with his breathing. Stephanie began to fumble with the small buttons at the front. Her lips parted in a silent moan as Paul's tongue began circling her nipple through her pink lace bra. That was when she realised her shirt was undone. Now when the hell had that happened? She hadn't even noticed he had taken it off and God, his other hand was squeezing the very top of her thigh. Stephanie swallowed hard. Her throat felt thick and dry as Paul's lips found hers once again. As their tongues brushed together, his hand squeezed her bare breast and she moaned into mouth. Okay, her bra was undone now. This guy was some sort of magician making her clothes literally fall off at his touch. Not that she was complaining. Every part of her wanted this so much. She had dreamt of this moment forever and she never wanted him to stop. Not ever and holy shit! Stephanie felt an explosion of desire as Paul rubbed her through her underwear. Her hand skimmed down his stomach and she heard a thud as something fell to the floor. Paul was moving her over the desk. She could hear the paper scattering around her as she lay down on the wood. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest. She could feel Paul sliding her underwear down her legs and her body burned with anticipation. She needed to feel him inside her now. She couldn't wait another single second. Stephanie's eyes popped open as she lifted up her hips. Paul was watching her silently as his hands moved up her legs. His beautiful brown eyes were dark with desire. She swallowed thickly under the intensity of his stare.

"Stephanie." he said huskily as his head lowered towards her middle. His hair tickled her thighs. Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut as her fingers threaded through his soft, blonde strands.

"Stephanie." 

The hand on her shoulder made her jump. Her pen fell from her fingers to her desk. She glanced around disorientated. 

"Are you okay?" 

She looked up to see Violet looking at her strangely. Her strong perfume lingered around her. As her head began to clear, Stephanie realised she had been daydreaming. An image of Paul going down on her made her cheeks instantly flush with heat. She straightened up in her seat and tried her best to compose herself. Keeling over with desire wasn't covered in the first aid hand book not to mention the fact she didn't want the ugly freak from downstairs slobbering over her. As the official first aider for this department, he'd see it as the perfect opportunity to administer mouth to mouth. She could feel her breakfast churning in her stomach at the thought of it already. He'd tried it on poor Helen from personnel only last week. 

"You're looking awfully flustered." 

Stephanie cleared her throat. "I'm fine." Her fingers rubbed across her forehead. "I just zoned out for a minute there. I was trying to think of ideas for the promotion." she smiled. 

Violet nodded as she took a sip from the mug of coffee in her hands. "You must have come in early today. It's not even nine yet." 

"I had things to do." 

Violet smiled. The truth was she'd come in early to see Paul if she could. She knew he was usually the first to arrive and she wanted even a moment alone with him. Pathetic but it was true. She was totally desperate. Ever since their date, she just couldn't get him out of her head. The goodnight kiss had been replayed over and over in her mind. So much so that she wanted to feel his lips on hers again. After all, if they were alone, a little good morning embrace wouldn't be out of the question. That's what people did when they dated and she and Paul were good as dating. Well maybe, sort of. Nothing was official as such but there was something definitely going on and Paul had promised more. But unfortunately he still hadn't arrived yet. Knowing her luck, he'd probably be stuck in damn meetings all day. 

"So have you heard the news?" 

Stephanie felt her hairs on the back of her neck bristle in annoyance. Mandy the Mouth stood in front of her. Her small piggy eyes looked between herself and Violet. She was like the cat that had the cream. She was smiling smugly. Stephanie was tempted to bring up her vomiting and wipe it from her face but she wouldn't. Not when her own drunkenness could be brought into the conversation. God knows what she had done. Half of the night was a blur to her. She clicked on her mouse and opened up her e-mail. Claire was supposed to be sending a picture of Pete, her mysterious fiancé. 

"What news?" asked Violet. 

"It's about Paul." 

All thoughts of e-mail left Stephanie's mind as she looked up at Mandy. She was beaming widely. She looked about ready to burst with her news. What the fuck did she know? Surely it wasn't about her. No one knew unless they'd guessed something was going on. Maybe it was obvious from her flushed face or the blouse she'd handpicked this morning. She'd taken extra care with her makeup too. After all, a girl wanted to look her best although she didn't want to make it too obvious. She didn't want to arouse anyone's suspicions. But even if she had, surely even Mandy couldn't be brazen enough to mention it to her face. Stephanie's hand absently rubbed at her stomach. It was churning anxiously. She wished the bitch would just hurry up and spill it. She was dragging this one out 

"It turns out he's not young, free and single after all." said Mandy.

Her eyes settled on Stephanie. They were practically taunting her. Stephanie felt her stomach drop. She knew. She had to. But how the fuck did she find out? They'd been careful. No one had seen them leave together on Friday. Even if they had, Paul was only helping her home. Nothing had happened between them, not at Claire's party. There was no way Mandy could know about them. Could she? 

"How do you know?" asked Violet. 

Mandy turned and smiled at her. "I was waiting on the elevator downstairs and I overheard Nick talking to Paul in the lobby. He mentioned he had seen him at some restaurant Saturday night." 

Her voice trailed off. Stephanie's heart was heavy. So Nick had seen them together after all. Shit. And now she wouldn't get to go out with Paul again. The owner of the company frowned upon inter office relations especially when it involved a man in a position like Paul's. That's why Bill Bryce had been fired for his affair with Katie. Now they would never have the chance to be together. She wouldn't let Paul lose his job. The whole thing was over before it had even had the chance to begin. Fucking Nick! And now it would be all over the building by lunch time. Mandy would see to that. Knowing that bitch, she's already prepared her company e-mail to circulate. Stephanie fought the urge to suddenly scream.

"Who was he with? Did he say?" asked Violet. 

Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced down at her desk not giving Mandy the satisfaction of even looking at her. 

"I ……shit. Here they come." 

Stephanie's head jerked up and saw her colleagues disappear quickly to their desks. Checking to see no one was looking, she peered over the top of her cubicle. She saw him speaking to Nick just outside the board room. He was facing her. Her blood was beating in her ears. Paul was wearing a dark navy suit with an open necked white shirt. He wasn't wearing a tie today. His long hair was down and tucked behind his ears. He was smiling and Stephanie couldn't stop her own lips from upturning slightly. His grin was so infectious. It also made her weak at the knees. She sighed as she slumped back down on her chair. Life was so not fair. The man was fucking gorgeous and just when she was so close to having him, she was going to be denied. It didn't matter that he was gripped by her. It didn't matter that she was falling for him. Some stupid fucking rule meant they couldn't be together. Now she would be forced to be nothing but professional around him when all she wanted to do was just be with him. Maybe she could persuade him to have one night of passion anyway. It was so wrong that she would never get to sleep with him. She knew Paul was going to be the best sex of her life. It was only right that she got to experience that damn it. 

"Good morning Stephanie." 

Nick's voice startled her. What was it with people sneaking up on her today? Her nerves couldn't take it. Not now. She was a wreck. 

"Could Paul and I see you for a second in the board room?" 

Stephanie swallowed thickly and nodded her head. He was smiling at her and it made her even more suspicious. Nick never smiled at her like that ever. Well, only if it was some misfortune on her part. He seemed to find it terribly amusing. Finding out about her and Paul had probably made his week. Bastard! She'd spit in his coffee. Stephanie stood up from her chair and followed him. She could see Paul was already sitting at the table through the gaps in the open blinds. Her shaky hands smoothed down the wrinkles in her skirt. Violet was talking on the phone. She gave Stephanie a smile as she walked past her desk. 

"After you." gestured Nick as he stood at the side of the wooden panelled door.

Stephanie nodded her thanks as she brushed past him. Now he was being courteous as well as friendly. She was definitely screwed then. As she walked tentatively into the room, Paul glanced up from his seat and smiled softly at her. Their eyes connected and she felt a jolt in her chest. Would it be crazy to offer them her resignation? Her job meant the world to her but somehow she felt this man could mean so much more. She'd never been this way over any one in her life. Paul was like a magnet pulling her in. She was even day dreaming about him at work for crying out loud. She was practically bordering on obsessed. 

"Take a seat, Steph." said Paul.

She sighed softly under her breath. She adored how he said her name. He stood up and pulled out the chair next to him. It reminded her of their date when he had opened the car door for her. He was so courteous and polite. Paul knew his manners. He was a perfect gentleman. 

"Nick and I wanted to discuss something with you." 

Stephanie nodded and swallowed hard as she sat down. Her fingers tapped nervously against her leg. Paul's thick forearms leant on the table. This was it. The moment of truth. Maybe she'd suit that white apron the waitresses wore at Starbucks. It wasn't flattering but maybe she could dress it up and make it look better. She could wear a flower or something. A purple tulip would look pretty. She could dazzle Paul with her array of knowledge on frappes and cappuccinos. 

"It only came to my attention this morning." he said apologetically. 

Yeah thanks to Nick and his beady little eyes. Couldn't he at least have shown some discretion and pretended he hadn't seen them together on Saturday? 

"Paul agrees with me that it's the best solution." continued Nick. He was smiling at her again. He had pushed his glasses onto his forehead. Honestly, did he realise how lame he looked like that? Maybe she'd just tell him once this was all over. After all, there was no need to hold back any more. Starbucks wouldn't care that she thought Nick was retarded. If they saw him, they'd probably agree with her. His Hawaiian print shirts were absolutely disgusting. Who the fuck thought wearing pink pelicans was cool anyway? 

"We really can't afford not to act on it straight away otherwise we could find ourselves in one hell of a mess." 

We? This was a we? Since when did any of this involve Nick. Okay, he'd rumbled them but there was no need to pretend he gave a crap. He was probably taking immense joy from this after all there was nothing he liked better than making her life a misery. Stephanie sighed and glanced briefly at Paul. He was looking at Nick as he rubbed at the tip of his nose. Lucy Deacon said that it was huge. She begged to differ. It was distinguished that was all and besides it indicated to her that a certain other body part was more than ample in size. Not that she wanted to think about that really. Not when she could still imagine Paul's hand underneath her skirt. His thick fingers had squeezed her thigh. Stephanie shifted in her seat and mentally scolded herself. Now was not the time or the place to be thinking of such things. Not when her chances of office sex were practically over. God, why was Nick prolonging this thing? He was being a total asshole. 

"Although the ball is totally in your court. We know it's a lot to take on. It's totally your decision." 

Stephanie's eyes drifted between Nick and Paul. Her nose scrunched in confusion. What on earth was going on here? Her decision? What decision and what did Nick mean and why was Paul smiling at her like that? He could at least have the decency to look bothered by this. He was meant to be gripped by her after all. He should be as devastated as she felt. 

"Let me explain what Nick is trying to say." smiled Paul. "Katie's replacement can't start for another couple of weeks so I was wondering if you would mind taking on a little bit extra and helping out?" 

Stephanie stared at him for a moment as his words sunk in. They wanted her to be Paul's temporary assistant. What happened to Saturday night and Nick seeing them at the restaurant? 

"We'll obviously come to an arrangement on your salary and pay you accordingly." said Nick. 

Stephanie nodded as she chewed on her lip. Little did Nick know that she would help Paul out of the goodness of her heart! She'd also put a new meaning to the word "personal" assistant. 

"We'll let you think about it. You don't have to decide right this second." 

Stephanie shook her head and cleared her throat. Her blue eyes settled on Paul. "That's okay. I'd be more than happy to do it." 

As Paul smiled at her, he winked. Stephanie fought the urge to grin and bit down on her lip to stop it. She didn't want to give Nick any ammunition. 

"In that case, I'll go and speak with Mandy. She'll be taking on your lighter roles." 

Stephanie smiled at Nick as he stood up. She tried to hide the fact that she was actually pissed off about that. Yes, working with Paul had lots of benefits but one of them wasn't Mandy muscling in on her territory. The bitch wanted her job as it was. Giving her any sort of opportunity was bad news. Just then it hit her. Nick was leaving already. Wasn't he going to mention seeing them Saturday? After all, Mandy had heard him mention it to Paul. The door clicked shut behind him. 

"Are you sure you don't mind us springing this on you?" 

Stephanie licked her lips and shook her head. She flicked her hair back from her shoulder. 

"Good because quite honestly, you're the only person that came to mind when Nick told me the news this morning." 

A slow grin crept across Stephanie's face. Paul was leaning forward on the table. "And why would that be?" 

"Oh I don't know." he winked again.

His hand reached across and covered hers as it rested on her lap. Stephanie quickly glanced towards the large glass windows. No one was looking and the tilted blinds meant they probably couldn't make them out anyway. She looked back at Paul. His beautiful brown eyes were watching her.

"By the way, I had a good time Saturday." 

"Me too." Stephanie leant closer towards him. Her teeth pulled on the inside of her lip worriedly. She could smell his cologne and it made her giddy. Paul slid his fingers through hers. "But what about Nick? Did he mention seeing us at all?"

She didn't tell him what Mandy had told her. After all, she wasn't a gossip and she didn't want to cause trouble. Maybe Paul was an extremely private person. Maybe he would take exception to Mandy discussing his private life and as much as she hated the bitch, she didn't want to land her in it. But still she had to know. 

"Yeah, he did but you don't have to worry. He didn't see you." 

"He didn't?" 

Paul shook his head and a lock of hair fell across his eye. "He saw me kissing someone that was all." 

"And he didn't ask who it was?" 

Paul nodded his head. "I just told him it was a girl I was dating." 

Dating! Paul said they were actually dating. Stephanie fought the urge to squeal with excitement. "So your plan worked huh?" 

"Yeah, I guess it did."

A slow grin spread across his face as his finger pushed his hair across his forehead. Paul's thumb was rubbing small circles on the back of her hand. Stephanie felt the heat rush to her cheeks as the mental image of Paul throwing her across his desk entered her head. Not a good thing to be doing when he was sitting less a foot away and all she wanted to do was rip off his clothes right now. Thank God she had some self restraint. Well that and she wasn't an exhibitionist. There were at least ten people outside this room and she wasn't providing them with a peep show. The blinds didn't provide that much protection. 

"Plus there was method to my madness. It meant I didn't have to wait until the end of the night to kiss you." said Paul. 

Stephanie bit down on her lip feeling mesmerised by his amazing eyes. "You know you can kiss me any time you want."

Paul grinned and she became aware of what she had just said. Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. What on earth was wrong with her? Words just tumbled out of her mouth when she was with him. She didn't even realise what she was saying half the time. What had happened to that self restraint? Once again, she was practically throwing herself at him. She didn't want Paul to get the wrong impression of her. Stephanie cleared her hot, dry throat.

"But not here of course. After all, we are at work and I know you want to keep things professional." She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I do too. We shouldn't mix business with pleasure." 

"I agree." Paul pressed his lips together as he gave her a sage nod. He looked at her, his mouth slowly upturning at the left hand corner. The sun suddenly filtered through the window flecking his hair with gold. She swore she could smell his conditioner mixed in with his cologne. It was heavenly. "Although in my opinion all work and no play can be pretty boring." 

Stephanie found herself blushing as he smirked at her sexily. Maybe behind the closed door of his office a kiss or two would be allowed. After all she was his personal assistant. There was nothing wrong with giving him a little personal attention. 

"Anyway, I guess I'd better go. I've got a meeting in five minutes." said Paul as he glanced at his gold watch. His fingers trailed over hers as he let of her hand. He pushed back his chair and got to his feet. "Maybe we can catch up after lunch? We can talk about the job in more detail then. We haven't really had the chance to discuss it." 

Stephanie nodded her head and stood up. Her hand smoothed down her skirt. 

"After you." smiled Paul as he gestured towards the door.

Stephanie's heels sunk into the thick, plush carpet. Her hand was on the shiny brass door knob when she felt him tug her on her arm. His big brown eyes were twinkling at her as he pulled her over towards the corner of the room.

"No one can see us here." he grinned. 

Her heart pounded in her chest as Paul pressed her back into the wall. He leaned forward and his lips brushed against hers ever so softly stealing her breath away. His lips felt like warm silk against hers.

"I thought I'd take you up on your offer. I've wanted to do that all morning." he said huskily as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Butterflies fluttered in her chest. His thumb lightly brushed her cheek as he pulled away. "But now I really have to go." 

Stephanie nodded and smiled as she followed him to the door. Her heart was thumping away in her chest. She could still feel his lips on hers. Yet as they walked into the main office, she didn't even glance at Paul once as he disappeared down the corridor. After all she was meant to be the soul of discretion. No one had even looked over in her direction either. God, she was obviously good at all this. Stephanie flicked back her hair and sat at her desk. She couldn't help the smile that erupted across her face. Working with Paul was definitely going to have its own little benefits and then some.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Stephanie tilted the brim of the black trilby hat as she glanced at her reflection. Her lips pressed together in a frown as she tried to decide who looked the bigger idiot right now. Herself for wearing this monstrosity or the elderly lady just across the aisle. She was wearing pointy stiletto heels and a mini skirt revealing legs that really should be hidden. Mother of God, she looked horrendous and obviously knee deep in some life crisis. She was in her sixties at the very least. She had to be with those wrinkles and if she wasn't mistaken the skirt was made of PVC too. Stephanie gave a shudder as she tossed the hat back on the display stand. She gave the young girl with the lady a sympathetic glance. If that was her own grandmother she would be so embarrassed right now and making major plans to confine her to a home. The fire engine red lipstick didn't help matters.

Picking up her bags, Stephanie made her way down the aisle, her blue eyes searching for Claire. Thank God she hadn't witnessed what she had just seen. There was no way she would have kept quiet about it and would have no doubt said something to the woman. Her friend wasn't exactly the most tactful person in the world. She made no bones about what she thought but it was one of the things she admired about her. At times, she wished she could be just as outspoken especially during the last couple of days. Thank God it was Friday afternoon. Stephanie sighed as she scanned the footwear department. This was where she had left Claire not five minutes ago but now she had disappeared. Maybe she was in a dressing room or something.

Stephanie absently picked up a pair of brown leather boots. She needed new boots to wear with the outfit she had planned for tomorrow night. Well one of the many outfits she had decided on. She'd narrowed her list down to five after spending the better part of the morning scribbling down the various combinations her wardrobe had to offer. She was thinking sexy yet comfortable. Paul was taking her to the movies and she wanted to look her absolute best. She planned to completely blow him away. Well, that's if his plans hadn't changed by now.

Stephanie sighed heavily as she placed the boot back on the shelf. She hadn't seen Paul in three whole days. Tuesday morning he had flown to Detroit chasing some major account and she hadn't heard a peep from him since. He hadn't even called into the office. Of course Nick had been a total asshole in his absence. He really thought he was the shit when he was in charge. He was permanently on her case nitpicking about something. That was why she had e-mailed Claire to meet her for lunch and get her the hell out of there. She'd just had to catch a breather from that office before her head totally exploded. 

"There you are!" 

Stephanie turned round to see Claire with two large bags in her hand. She smiled at her friend. "You found something then?" 

"I did and Pete is going to love it." 

"Do I even want to ask?" 

Claire laughed as they made their way towards the escalators weaving between the busy shoppers. "Let's just say it's very minimal and see through." She smirked as she nudged Stephanie with her arm. "I'm sure someone like Paul would appreciate it too." 

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know." she sighed tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. They stepped onto the descending escalator. But wouldn't she just love the chance to find out if he did. She had bought some new lingerie just last week. Maybe she would wear that on their date tomorrow night just in case. After all Paul had practically said they would move to that next level. Well not exactly but it had been close enough. His exact words had been that they would take it from there. Surely that had to mean something. Of course there was the tiny issue of whether there would still be a date. Maybe Paul would still be caught up in Detroit. Maybe he wouldn't be home for the weekend. But surely he would call her and tell her if that was the case. He just couldn't leave her hanging. 

"I take it you still haven't heard from him." asked Claire noticing her friend's sullen expression. 

"No." sighed Stephanie. 

"I'm sure he's been really busy and hasn't had the chance to call, that's all." 

Stephanie tried to shrug her shoulders non-chalantly as they stepped off the elevator. Her heels clicked against the marble floor. "I really don't care." 

"Liar!" laughed Claire before sidestepping at an elderly gentleman who had blocked their path by dumping his shopping bag in front of them. "Of course you care. You're completely besotted with the guy." 

Stephanie immediately nodded her head and smiled meekly at her friend. "I'm pathetic, huh?" 

"Christ, no. Steph, the man is a walking God! Half the fucking office building think he's hot and that includes Lily Sinclair. The woman who hates all men yet melts whenever Paul looks in her direction. I'm telling you, the minute anyone finds out about you, you'll get your eyes scratched out." 

Stephanie shook her head in amusement as they stepped outside into the chilly afternoon air. The newly mounted Christmas lights twinkled dimly in the low sun. Claire glanced at her watch as they jogged down the concrete steps. Stephanie adjusted the strap on her shoulder and fastened the button on her coat. 

"Fuck!" Claire suddenly screamed out loud. A couple of pedestrians threw her a dirty glance. She noticed them and flipped them off as she grabbed hold of Stephanie's arm and began pulling her along the street. "You do realise its now fifteen minutes past two." 

"What?" screeched Stephanie in disbelief. "You have to be fucking kidding me." She felt herself begin to panic as she quickly glanced at the traffic. Spotting a gap, she ran with Claire across the road, her chestnut strands flying behind her "I had a meeting at two o'clock. Nick will have a fucking field day with this one."

The large glass office building was just in front of them. Stephanie approached the large double doors with dread. Why did this always happen to her? She'd been watching the time carefully. Or at least she thought she had. Now all she could hope for was that the meeting had been cancelled or delayed. Surely that wasn't too much to ask for. They both rushed into the deserted lobby and quickly ascended the staircase. Claire grabbed Stephanie's bags from her at the top. She smiled at her friend gratefully and dashed towards the office. The last thing she needed was to give Nick any ammunition this afternoon. Her life was going to be hell as it was.

The office was silent just as she expected. The board room door was closed and she could make out the silhouettes behind the half shut blinds. Shit, damn and blast it. This was turning into the week from hell. Now she'd have to walk in there and have everyone watch as Nick tore a strip off her. Fucker! If he really laid into her, she'd put a laxative in his drink. She'd seen that in a movie once and had always had the urge to try it. Nick would be the perfect experiment. Stephanie quickly unbuttoned her coat and threw it across the back of her chair before picking up her notepad and pen. That was when she noticed the scattered files across her desk. She felt herself bristle with annoyance. That bitch Mandy had been raking through her damn stuff once again. It had only been a couple of days but already she was driving her mad. She was constantly hassling her for information on this or pointers on that. That's when she wasn't sucking up to Nick in between. She'd even had the gall today to suggest a couple of changes to a promotion she had recently completed. Mandy was trying her best to completely muscle in on her territory. And now she'd obviously progressed to just helping herself to her stuff. Stephanie walked away before her head completely exploded. Before she left this afternoon, she was going to have a word with Mandy before this whole situation got out of hand. If the bitch was going to take things, she could fucking put them back where they came from! Letting out a calming breath, Stephanie smoothed down her black pencil skirt. It was time to face the firing range.

She turned the shiny handle and her head was bowed as she entered the room. She could hear Nick stop in mid conversation and she was sure her hand shook as she attached her pen to her notepad. 

"Stephanie! How nice of you to finally join us this afternoon." 

She could feel everyone's eyes upon her as the door clicked quietly shut. Bastard! He just had to draw attention to her presence. Couldn't he have let her slip in quietly? She slowly lifted her head. Nick was standing frowning directly in front of her. He had that pointy stick thing in his hand. He liked to smack it against charts and look important. If he embarrassed her any further she'd smack it off his head.

"Sorry. My dentist appointment ran late." she lied as she slid into an empty seat next to Violet.

Luckily it was at the foot of the table. Violet gave her a sympathetic smile as she placed down her notepad and pen. Her perfume hung around her thickly. Stephanie resisted the urge to yak. God it was totally overpowering. Nick began rambling again as she pulled in her chair. As she clicked her pen, she glanced up and flicked her hair over her shoulder. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw him. Paul was sitting at the top of the table nodding his head as Nick demonstrated something to him. Where did he come from and how did he get here? He hadn't been here when she had left. Aware that she was probably staring at him, Stephanie lowered her head and lifted her eyes. She felt bubbles of excitement in the pit of her stomach as she sat and observed him discreetly. He looked absolutely gorgeous in a white dress shirt. His purple silk tie sat loose around the unbuttoned collar. He was doing that cute flipping of the pen thing he did when he was concentrating. His other hand lifted to push back his hair. It rested on the top of his head for a fraction of a second before falling to the waxed wooden table. She loved when he did that, touching his hair. She liked it even better when she was the one touching it. The couple of times she had the strands had felt so soft like silk and it always smelled incredible. Paul as a rule always smelled incredible.

Just then he turned his head in her direction. His brown eyes twinkled as he briefly winked at her. Stephanie felt the corners of her mouth start to twitch and she looked down at her notepad. One second longer and she would have been grinning at him like an idiot. She honestly couldn't believe he was really sitting here. Suddenly all the stresses of the past few days seemed a million miles away. 

"Stephanie, what's your take on this?" asked Nick. 

Well then again, maybe not. Stephanie shifted in her chair uncomfortably as she glanced over at Nick and tried to gauge what the fuck he was talking about. Her take on what exactly? How retarded he looked with that stupid goatee he was sporting? Stephanie's eyes frantically scanned the poster he was pointing towards. 

"Tell me what your first impression is when you look at this." he continued slightly impatient. 

Nuts were what sprung to her mind. Big strange looking walnuts. But of course she couldn't say that not without looking totally stupid. She felt everyone's eyes on her once more as she tried her best to concentrate. Mandy coughed and she deliberately ignored her. It was a woman's health promotion that much she could gather. She knew Nick had been working on this yesterday. What the fuck would nuts have to do with that though? Maybe they provided essential oils for the skin or something.

"Stephanie?" prompted Nick. 

"Walnuts." she blurted out before she even realised. Nick's jaw line clenched as he glared in her direction. Okay. It wasn't fucking walnuts then but he was the one who had pressured her to give her opinion. As she let herself glance across at Paul, she saw him watching her. He smiled at her in a way that butterflies fluttered in her chest. 

"Thank you." he said simply before turning back to Nick. "I told you they looked nothing like ovaries. Take that back to the graphics department and tell them to get their heads out their ass and think of something else. Then you'd better call Nancy and tell her she'll have to wait until next week." Nick nodded meekly as Paul threw his pen down on the desk. 

Stephanie bit back her smile as she resisted the urge to laugh. Ovaries?! What the hell was that all about? She given up trying to figure it out by the time the meeting had ended. She pushed back her chair and silently congratulated herself. She'd finally worked out what she would be wearing tomorrow night. Those brown leather boots would go perfect with her jeans and her chocolate brown cashmere sweater. It had a plunging neckline and she had a lovely little belt to go around the waist. She just hoped her new credit card had arrived in the post this morning. They had said three days and that had been over five days ago. Didn't they realise how dependent she was on the damn thing? Thanks to her little lunchtime shopping spree she was on a strict budget for the rest of the month and then she'd had to replace her hair straighteners too. That had been an absolutely essential purchase. 

"Stephanie, can we go over the promotion for the Balance bar we discussed this morning?" 

Stephanie raised her head and forced a smile in Mandy's direction. Her little piggy eyes were peering in her direction. She had that pathetic voice she used that implied butter wouldn't melt, the one she used constantly around Paul and Nick. She really was a suck-up. "Sure." she replied. 

"I've got a few concerns." 

"Concerns?" asked Stephanie as she tried to remain calm and gathered her notepad and pen. Paul was standing up and checking his cell phone. He was chewing on his lip and his brow was furrowed. 

"Yes. I don't think we've quite grasped the full idea of the product. I think we could make a couple of changes. Tweak it if you like." She smiled at her. 

Stephanie slowly exhaled a breath. Who the fuck did she think she was? She had worked really hard on that promotion. Mandy knew that. Even Nick had congratulated her albeit probably grudgingly and now she had the nerve to question her on it for the second time that day. She knew the bitch wanted her job but this was insane. She cleared her throat as she tried not to explode. "The promotion has been approved and submitted already." 

"Not the final draft. The graphics department are just applying the finishing touches. I checked with them today." 

Stephanie gritted her teeth. "Oh you did, did you?" 

Mandy nodded her head. "So can we discuss it?" 

"I'm afraid not." interrupted Paul as he stood beside them. "I really need Stephanie to work on some stuff this afternoon." 

Stephanie silently thanked him and took great pleasure in watching Mandy's face fall. 

"Of course." she muttered before she skulked off in the direction of the main office.

Stephanie resisted the urge to pull Paul into a hug. Instead she smiled at him softly. God, she really had missed him which was totally crazy when she thought about it. He'd only been in her life for a matter of weeks yet somehow he'd turned her whole world upside down. 

"Can you give me five minutes or so?" he asked. "I just need to talk with Nick. I'll catch you at your desk." 

Stephanie nodded and headed back to her cubicle. She tried to ignore the scattered files that had angered her earlier. She wasn't going to dwell on those now, not when she would be seeing Paul in a matter of minutes. Throwing down her notepad and pen, she pulled out her drawer. She rummaged to the back where she knew the chocolate treat was hidden and unwrapping the bar, she took a huge bite. It was her release for moments of extreme stress just like this week. In fact, it had been a miracle that it had lasted until today. As she chewed on the mixture of caramel and nuts, she closed her eyes and began to feel calmer. God bless Nestle and the hell with Mandy. 

"It's no wonder you have to visit the dentist when you eat those things." 

Stephanie opened her eyes as she tried to brush off her irritation. Mandy was hovering by her cubicle and she decided to ignore her. Instead she took another large bite and sat down in her chair. She wasn't going to react to her. Instead she picked up a pen and spied the outfit list she had made earlier and her heart lifted as she thought about her date. Her blue eyes eagerly scanned over the piece of paper wondering if there was another outfit that she could wear those boots with. She chewed thoughtfully thinking about Claire's cream Prada sweater. Libby's mother had worked miracles and the wine stain had thankfully washed out. She had yet to return it waiting for the right moment to sneak it back into her drawer. It would look great with her blue jeans. Stephanie continued to chew thoughtfully as she weighed up her options.

"That piece of paper must be extremely interesting." 

Stephanie jumped at Paul's voice and hastily placed the piece of paper face down on her desk. The blood beat in her ears. There was no chance she could risk him seeing what was on there. As well as her outfits, she'd doodled his name a couple of times thinking how pretty it looked on the paper. One even had a heart drawn round it. Talk about embarrassing! God, she was such a bloody girl when it came to this man. She looked up to see him leaning over the top of her cubicle. He wore that sexy smirk, the one that made her want to jump him without hesitation. 

"Something on there you don't want me to see?" he teased. 

"No." she said abruptly. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks. Paul grinned as he gestured towards the corridor. 

"We can talk in my office when you're ready." 

She smiled and watched him disappear down the hall. Satisfied he was gone, she reached down and grabbed her bag. She raked inside until she found her lip gloss. She hastily applied it and sprayed a little perfume to her wrists. She didn't worry about anyone noticing. Violet's fragrance had pretty much ruined everyone's sense of smell around here. Sniffing her wrist discreetly, she frowned and applied another squirt. Running her tongue across her teeth, she didn't feel any trace of chocolate. Satisfied, she was looking her best Stephanie made her way to his office. Of course no one paid her the slightest bit of attention. After all, she was Paul's personal assistant and the total soul of discretion. She was so good at it not one person suspected a thing. Of course she'd had practice with the whole Ben situation. Not that she was thinking about that. That creep was well and truly history. He could rot in hell for all she cared.

Stephanie knocked on the door and walked into Paul's office. He lifted his head and smiled at her as he stood behind his desk. It was practically empty reminding her that he had been gone for most of the week. The sun shone through the glass pane window. It flecked his hair with hints of gold. Stephanie shifted her feet on the carpeted floor as Paul walked around the desk. He sat down on the heavy oak and his deep brown eyes searched her face.

"How have you been?" he asked. 

"Good." she smiled. "And you? How was the trip?" 

"It was pretty successful all in all. We got the account." 

Stephanie beamed at him proudly. "Congratulations, Paul." 

"Thank you." he grinned. "I thought it was touch and go for a while but the bastards just wanted to make us sweat. They'd made their decision two days ago but wanted to see if they could screw us further on the terms of the contract. It's pretty normal practice nowadays." 

Stephanie nodded her head. 

"Anyway, they finally signed this morning which meant I managed to get an earlier flight which was just as well what with that fucking ovary thing." He shook his head and looked totally exasperated. "What the fuck was Nick thinking?" His big hand pushed back his hair and he sighed heavily. Stephanie pressed her lips together as she resisted the urge to laugh. She actually found the whole thing hilarious. The only thing was Paul looked less than impressed. "I mean I know it's meant to represent fertility and all but would you buy vitamins or a health drink with ovaries on it?" he asked. 

Stephanie remained silent as she slowly shook her head. 

"Neither would I. It's a god damn joke. I mean fucking ovaries, Steph!" 

Just hearing Paul say the word ovary again was enough to tip her over the edge and Stephanie gave a little snort before bursting into laughter. Paul looked at her astonished for a second before his big brown eyes crinkled and he began laughing too. She loved his laugh. It was so deep and it made his shoulders shake. His nose was screwed up so cutely too. As he reached for her hand, she felt her body tingle and he held it gently as he pulled her closer towards him. Their laughter died away and Stephanie's heart thumped against her ribcage as he looked deeply into her eyes. 

"I missed you, you know." 

A shy lop sided grin crossed her face. "I missed you too." she admitted. 

"I meant to call you." 

Stephanie shook her head immediately not wanting the situation to get awkward. She understood and she wanted him to know she did. "It's okay. I know you were busy what with meetings and everything." 

"Well yeah but that's not the reason why I didn't call." He smiled and his thumb began to lightly trace her knuckles. "I had planned to. I even had the phone in my hand but then I suddenly realised I didn't have your number." 

Stephanie's grin widened. See, she knew there would be an explanation for it all. Well, at least most of the time she did. She was entitled to a few wobbly moments surely. She was hormonal for God sakes. She wasn't meant to be logical right now and she certainly hadn't been last night when she had ranted to Libby about Paul. Of course that had been after she had drunk an entire bottle of wine and had wallowed in her own self pity. It had taken Libby over an hour to eventually calm her down. She had reassured her that Paul did care about her and he had proved that just now. God, he had told her he had missed her. Stephanie felt her head get a little giddy. 

"I've never been in this situation before you know. Usually I get the number before a girl offers to show me her lingerie." smirked Paul as he brought her even closer, her legs brushing against his. 

"Well I guess I'm not like most girls." she replied. 

"You got that right." His brown eyes sparkled brightly at her as he brought his face towards hers. "And quite frankly I wouldn't have you any other way." he hushed.

Stephanie's breath caught in her throat as his lips caressed hers ever so softly. Then he kissed her again, this time more insistently. Unable to help herself, Stephanie eagerly returned the kiss and moaned as she felt Paul's tongue lightly brush over hers. She could feel her knees go weak. He moved his left hand to her head as he tangled his fingers in her soft, brown hair. Her heart hammered in her chest as she felt herself getting completely lost in his embrace. His words repeated themselves over in her head. Paul didn't want her to be any other way. She wondered if that meant he was falling for her because she was falling for him if she hadn't fallen hard already. Although who was she kidding. She had fallen a long time ago. From the moment she had met him on that train she knew. Even in her alcohol induced state she had recognised the butterflies. Her mother had told her never to lose the butterflies and she had no intention of doing so. Now all she had to do was a find some way not to fuck this one up. Paul was far too important to her now.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Stephanie ran her fingers through her nearly dry loose curls and groaned as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She resembled something like a shaggy dog instead of the sleek haired seductress she had envisioned when she had stepped into the shower this afternoon and it was all thanks to fucking Babyliss! This time it had been her hair dryer that had practically exploded in her face. Her only saving grace had been that she had some time to try and do something with the curling iron albeit rather unsuccessfully. Her hair was a mixture of curls and kinks which she was trying her hardest not to freak out about. She swore there was a conspiracy against her though! There had to be and Babyliss was in on it. They were trying everything in their power to screw up her dates with Paul and this was such an important one too.

The second date. This was the one where you set out future possibilities by getting to know each other and having fun. At least that's what the magazine had said when she had picked it up this morning. It also listed some tips on how to act around the man you were dating. Tip No.3 had been to avoid pouring your heart out and go slow. At least she had that base covered tonight. No alcohol of any kind would be involved in a movie theatre which meant she would feel less inclined to blurt out how incredible Paul's hair smelled. God, she still cringed every time she remembered telling him that! It was one of many embarrassing moments she had found herself in that night. But there had been some amazing moments too including that kiss on the bench underneath the stars. Humming contentedly to herself, Stephanie stepped back from the mirror and lifted up her perfume bottle spraying her neck and wrists with the fragrance before pausing for a second. A slow smile traced her lips as she lifted the neck of the Prada sweater and sprayed liberally down her cleavage. Claire had told her you needed a blast for luck and she was definitely someone who needed all the luck she could get.

Stephanie placed down the perfume bottle on the dresser just as she heard a car pull up outside. Her blue eyes went wide as she quickly raced to the bedroom window and pulling back the curtain, she recognised the black vehicle. It was Paul. Bubbles of excitement formed in her stomach as she quickly grabbed her brown leather coat and bag from the bed and checked her reflection one last time. She gave an audible groan as she closed the bedroom door behind her pushing her arms through her coat sleeves. Thank God the movie theatre would be dark! She flicked her hair over her collar and cautiously walked down the stairs gripping onto the banister. She was wearing her newly purchased leather boots tonight and they were a little higher than she was used to. If she went any faster she would probably trip and break her neck. Not the start to the evening she wanted.

Stephanie opened the door without thinking and stepped outside into the cold evening air. The wind nipped her cheeks as the door clicked shut behind her and she placed her bag over her shoulder. That's when she noticed Paul just getting out of the car. Shit. Why did she come out here? She was appearing way too eager. Paul hadn't even knocked on the door. He would know she had been looking out for him. What the hell was she doing? Stephanie glanced back at the door. Maybe she had time to rush back in before he turned around and spotted her.

"Good God woman!"

Nope. Too late! Stephanie slowly turned back round with an awkward, embarrassed smile on her face. Paul was standing just a couple of feet away. His beautiful hair was blowing behind him in the wind and he was wearing a leather coat and faded blue jeans. Those were the clothes he had been wearing on the train the first time she had met him. He even had the same amused sexy smirk on his face. The smirk that made her feel like just grabbing him and mauling him if she wasn't taking the advice of Tip No.3 and going slow. But if she thought he had looked gorgeous then, he was even more gorgeous now. Sweet Jesus! The man was absolute perfection.

"Not only are you on time but you're actually out here waiting for me?! I am privileged."

Stephanie grinned as she felt a sudden rush of nervous energy. Paul was now standing directly in front of her. She really had no control when it came to him. He rendered her practically hopeless. "You are but you know, for the record you're actually a couple of minutes late."

"I know and I apologise for that." he replied before bending down and brushing his lips softly across her cheek. Stephanie's eyes briefly closed at the contact as her heart flipped in her chest. She breathed him in and felt her knees tremble slightly as he gently rubbed her arm.

"Come on. Let's get you in the car. It's freezing out here."

Stephanie followed Paul to the passenger door and smiled her thanks as he helped her into the car. She placed her bag at her feet and settled in her seat as Paul hopped in beside her. He turned his head and smiled as he placed the keys in the ignition.

"You look really pretty tonight by the way."

Stephanie bit down on her lip shyly to stop herself from grinning like an idiot. She silently flipped off Babyliss as Paul started up the engine but visibly jumped as music blared from the stereo system. Thankfully the volume was quickly turned down. Another second of that and her head would have probably exploded.

"Sorry about that. I like my music loud." grinned Paul as he pulled off down the street.

"Yeah? Well I'm not sure I'd call that music exactly." Her lips upturned into a lop-sided smile. "It's more like one gigantic noise. How can you listen to that stuff?"

Paul's deep laughter filled the car. "I take it you're not a fan then?"

Stephanie pressed her lips together and shook her head. "I would say not."

"Then the radio it is. I don't think you'd appreciate the rest of my collection."

She smiled with relief as she watched his thick fingers fiddle with the buttons on the black and chrome stereo. After a few attempts, he settled for some rock ballad that was playing. It was Aerosmith if she remembered correctly. Stephanie shifted in her seat enjoying the warmth that she could feel radiating through the leather.

"Are you sure you're warm enough? I can turn up the heat."

"I'm just fine, thanks." she replied.

Stephanie inwardly smiled as Paul's hand reached across and covered hers squeezing it gently. She could feel the warmth of his palm as it rested there on her lap. Paul had been so sweet to her tonight. Her horoscope in the magazine today had predicted a partner to be extra attentive. The kiss and the hand holding had been a perfect start. She wondered what else she could expect. Maybe more hand holding in the movie theatre or even some kissing in the back row. She'd never been in a back row seat with a guy before. Maybe that would change tonight although it wouldn't matter where they sat. She would still want to hold him and hug him and kiss him. God, all she wanted to do when she was with him was touch him. It was like her emotions were taking over. Funnily enough her horoscope had mentioned those too. They'd told her she was dealing with big stuff now. Powerful emotions. Profound feelings. Intense experiences. Scary opportunities. The only thing that scared her was waking up one morning to find all of this was gone because this was what she wanted. This was everything she wanted.

Time disappeared and before she knew it, the car was parked and they were walking along the street with Paul's fingers linked through hers. Her heels clicked in time with his footsteps. The cold breeze blew through her curls. She could smell the vanilla scent of her perfume. Fuck, it was overpowering actually. Maybe she'd overdone it. Stephanie tried to discreetly lift her wrist to her nose to check if she had succumbed to the Violet syndrome, the main symptom being an overbearing smell with the ability to make people gag. Fortunately Paul wasn't yakking, well at least not yet.

As Stephanie sniffed, she misjudged the corner of the kerb and her foot keeled over to the side and slipped off the sidewalk. The blood beat in her ears and the heat immediately rushed to her cheeks as she felt Paul tug her towards him back from the road. A car slowly rumbled past. His concerned brown eyes were narrowed in her direction.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded as she guided a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. Her heart was beating madly in her chest.

"You know, I think I'll be happier with you on the inside where I know you'll be safe."

He pulled her over to his left and his fingers slid through hers once again as they walked towards the movie theatre. Stephanie felt a warm glow at his need to protect her and tried to ignore the shot of pain in her right ankle. It was nothing really, just a little twinge more than anything else. Besides the movie theatre was only a few feet away. With any luck she would be sitting down in a matter of minutes.

"I don't know how you can walk in those heels anyway. They look damn lethal to me."

"They can be." Stephanie grinned at Paul momentarily forgetting the dull throbbing in her foot. "Ever see Single White Female where she whacks the guy in the forehead with her stiletto?"

Paul shook his head and chuckled. "You know I don't think I like that little glint you've got in your eye. You obviously enjoyed that part way too much."

He held open the heavy glass door for her letting go of her hand and stepping aside to let her pass. The heat inside instantly thawed the tip of her nose which had considerably numbed from the cold. She adjusted the strap of her handbag as she took in her surroundings. It had been ages since she had been here. People were milling around the busy lobby that smelled of popcorn and hotdogs. Of course it was Saturday night, a popular date night. The majority of people were couples holding hands or some had their arms wrapped around one another although one couple just in front of them needed to bypass the whole movie idea and head straight to the bedroom. Their tongues were down one another throats practically devouring one another.

"Disgusting." she muttered disapprovingly as she turned her head to Paul. "You know that's practically pornographic. I hope they're not watching the same movie as us. Can you imagine having to endure seeing that for two entire hours?"

"It's enough to put you off your popcorn." he smirked.

"I'm being serious, Paul. There's really no need to be doing that in front of everyone. There could be kids here for goodness sakes."

Paul laughed, his deep chuckle shaking his shoulders.

"Not that I'm a prude or anything." Stephanie added quickly. She didn't want Paul getting the wrong impression. She wasn't against public displays of affection as such and especially not when it involved a kiss or two from him. "It's just that there is a time and a place and this is not it."

"You're absolutely right." Paul placed his hand on her back and smiled. "Come on. Let's leave them to it and go and pick a movie."

They wandered towards the end of the lobby where the movies were listed and the ticket booth was located. A group of teenage boys and girls standing a matter of feet in front of them broke away and that was when Stephanie spotted the familiar Hawaiian print shirt. Her mouth dropped open in a stunned surprise before panic quickly took over. "Fuck! Not again!" she hissed before grabbing Paul's arm and tugging him away. She felt the sharp pain in her foot as they walked quickly.

"Not what again?" he asked, confused as he tried to look back over his shoulder. He apologised to a couple he almost barged into as he tried to keep up with her.

"Don't look back!" she said looking around her for the nearest escape. Her heart was racing in her chest. She swore they had been practically looking in their direction. Maybe they'd even spotted them. "They'll see you."

"Who'll see me?"

"Bloody Nick and his wife, that's who!"

Paul snorted in disbelief. "Get out of here! Where?"

"They're at the end of the lobby by the ticket booth." Stephanie checked over her shoulder and gave a panicked squeal as she saw them headed in their direction. "Shit! They're coming this way."

She spotted the large free standing billboard directly in front of them and she quickly disappeared behind it, pulling Paul with her and squeezing in the space between the painted wall and the board. His brown eyes were sparkling with amusement as his shoulder rubbed against hers. She could feel him shake with laughter. She was glad he found the whole thing so damn funny. It wouldn't be funny when she was serving coffee at Starbucks and making absolute peanuts for a living.

"You know this is totally fucked up." he grinned.

Stephanie raised her eyebrows fractionally before trying to discreetly poke her head around the corner to see if Nick was gone. Fucking bastard! He was ruining her date. For all she knew, he was probably in cahoots with Babyliss. She saw him still standing at the popcorn stand and silently cursed at him again. Didn't he have a movie to catch or something? He needed to get the hell out of there.

"I mean really, what are the chances of this happening to us again?"

"I told you I was cursed." sighed Stephanie as she turned towards Paul and pressed her lips together in a sad smile. She felt herself melt into him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"You know I'm beginning to think you could be right about that." he teased nudging her with his hip.

"Yeah, well you should probably get out while you can before I end up cursing you too."

"Oh I don't know about that." Paul paused briefly to place his finger underneath her chin and turned to face her. The expression in his brown eyes was gentle as he looked at her, his thumb caressing her jaw line. "I kind of like your cursed little life Steph, well what I know of it so far. And quite honestly, it only makes me want to find out even more."

Stephanie's lips curved slowly upwards as she rested her hand on his chest. "Really?"

"Really."

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and butterflies fluttered madly in her chest as he leaned slightly against her, their bodies pressing together. He was checking over her shoulder for Nick and his wife. He could check all night as far as she was concerned especially if it meant having him as close as this. Not only did it feel amazing but he smelled amazing too. Unable to help herself Stephanie found herself sniffing at his neck.

"They must be gone."

Stephanie quickly stepped back and busied herself with her bag as she tried to compose herself. Another second longer and she would have buried her face in there and inhaled deeply.

"Come on. Let's go and catch ourselves a movie."

Stephanie smiled as Paul took hold of her hand but her smile soon disappeared as she winced with pain. Her damn foot was killing her but thankfully they would be sitting down soon. They weaved through the people in the lobby. Fucking heels. They would be the death of her.

"So what do you want to see?" asked Paul as they approached the ticket booth.

He smiled and raked his fingers through his hair and Stephanie found herself forgetting all about her foot. Her ankle could be broken and she wouldn't give a damn right now. She glanced up at the posters on the wall and smiled as she pretended to make up her mind. The truth was she already knew what she wanted to see. The new horror movie was playing. She had checked out the listings last night with Libby and while she wasn't a huge horror fan, they definitely had certain advantages like Libby had pointed out. She could pretend to be scared as she gripped onto Paul for dear life. Maybe he would even wrap his arm around her to protect her or hold her hand. Stephanie felt a warm glow at that thought as she pointed to the poster. A girl needed all the help she could get.

"How do you fancy that one?"

"The new horror movie?"

Stephanie nodded her head as she shifted her feet uncomfortably on the faded carpet.

Paul laughed as he reached into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet.

"I should have known. Your excitement at the stiletto heel should have given it away."

He paid for the tickets and treated her to soda and popcorn. Butter of course. He'd even remembered napkins for her fingers. He really was a perfect gentleman. Stephanie followed him into the dimly lit theatre, her eyes consciously searching for Nick as they walked to their seats. She knew he hated horror movies and was unlikely to be in here but you never could be too sure especially with her shit luck. But thankfully there appeared to be no sign of him and Stephanie removed her jacket before settling down into her seat. She took a sip of soda from her straw and turned her head towards Paul. Her eyes almost popped out of her head and she swore her mouth was hanging open. He'd taken off his jacket and was wearing a black t-shirt. She'd never seen him in just a t-shirt before and she'd certainly never seen his arms uncovered. Sweet Jesus they were huge and his biceps were straining against the sleeve. This man was all hard solid muscle. Okay, she'd guessed he was from the little she'd managed to touch but she'd never suspected this and that was just his arms. What on earth did the rest of his body look like? Stephanie swallowed thickly. God, she needed to find out and she needed to find out fast.

"You know I couldn't tell you the last time I was at the movies." smiled Paul as he passed her the popcorn. Stephanie managed to calm down enough to take a handful and thank him. He placed the cardboard box between his thick parted thighs. "I think it was last year when my niece dragged me to some Disney cartoon. I live on the edge." he grinned.

Stephanie grinned back thinking how sweet Paul really was. Not many men would take a little girl to the movie theatre. Well, certainly none of the bastards she'd come across in her time. "How old is she?"

"My niece? She's just turned eight a couple of months back."

"I was five when I saw my first Disney Movie. It was Sleeping Beauty. It's my absolute favourite."

"You like Disney, huh? Tell you what, the next movie that comes out? I'll let you borrow my niece and you can take her with you leaving me free for some baseball and beer."

She laughed as the theatre went dark and settled back in her seat as the big screen lit up. As her blue eyes watched the trailer, she felt Paul's arm slip around her shoulder. Her heart beat a little faster as she leaned towards him and her lips tugged upwards. He held her close all the way through the movie. She didn't even have to pretend she was freaking out to hold him. She actually had been though and she had held onto him for dear life. The movie had been totally gross and parts of it had scared the crap out of her. There was no chance in hell she was sleeping tonight. She pulled on her coat and buttoned it up as the lights flooded the theatre.

"Are you okay?" asked Paul. She could see the concern in his eyes and she nodded her head as she flicked her hair over her collar.

"I thought you were going to jump right out of your seat at one point. Is your sweater a mess?"

Stephanie sighed and nodded her head. She'd spilled her soda all over Claire's Prada sweater. There was a huge stain on the front of it again! Her hand had been gripping her cup tightly and the lid had popped off. She prayed the stain came out or she'd have to ask Libby's mother for another miracle. It was the last time she wore this damn thing. It was obviously as cursed as she was. Claire was fucking welcome to it.

Paul took hold of her hand as they began to file out of the theatre. She guided a lock of hair behind her ear. Her ankle felt sore and stiff but she chose to ignore it hoping she would make it to the car. She smiled as Paul led her down the aisle.

"I haven't freaked out so much since Nightmare on Elm Street." she told him. "I was ten when I watched that movie. I couldn't sleep for a week. I was traumatised by that body exploding through the mattress thing."

"Well, The Exorcist was my first scary movie. It took me a while to recover from that." Paul chuckled as they walked into the lobby. It was abuzz with chatter and they weaved through the various bodies. The cold night air hit them as they stepped outside. Stephanie felt her lips quiver when Paul stopped suddenly. His brown eyes narrowed in her direction.

"Steph, you're limping. What's happened?"

She sighed and conceded defeat. A girl could only be brave for so long especially trying to walk in killer heels. "I think I hurt my ankle when I slipped off the kerb." she admitted.

"Is it painful?"

"Just a little."

"You think you need to get it checked out?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. I think I just twisted it a bit."

"Then do you think you can make it back to the car?"

Stephanie nodded her head.

"Then here, let me help you." Paul slid his arm around her waist and Stephanie gripped hold of him as they began to walk. "Try to keep your weight off it and lean onto me."

He sure didn't need to tell her twice! Stephanie tightened her hold on him as they made their way slowly to the car. She could feel the heat of his body next to hers. He felt so firm and warm against her hand. There were definitely perks to injuring yourself and this was one of them. Maybe he could volunteer to be her personal doctor. God, she loved holding Paul and feeling so close to him. She felt disappointed when they reached the car and he helped her in. She hadn't wanted to let go not when it felt so good. All too soon, they were standing outside her apartment. She bit down on her lip before smiling at him shyly. Her keys were clutched in her hand. "I enjoyed myself tonight. Thank you." she said.

"It was my pleasure. I just hope you're not too freaked out to sleep tonight." Paul grinned.

"I have a feeling any sleep I get will be with the lights switched on."

Paul smiled as his fingers reached up to brush through her hair. She forgot to breathe for a tiny second as his brown eyes met hers and he tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "Well just remember to put some ice on that ankle, okay? It will help keep down any swelling."

"Yes Doctor Paul." she smirked.

"Don't be so full of cheek." he joked.

Stephanie's laughter was silenced by his sweet kiss. She closed her eyes as she melted into him, his mouth parting to kiss her more deeply. She felt her heart race and her knees tremble as she allowed her hand to slide around his waist enjoying the sensation of kissing him. God, it was like nothing else in the world. Paul was just amazing. There was nowhere else she wanted to be than be here right here and right now. She wondered if Paul felt as overwhelmingly happy as she did. Slowly they broke apart.

"So I guess this is the part where we say goodnight." she said almost sadly.

Stephanie was reluctant to let him go and didn't want the night to end. Her body was throbbing for him. Her mouth was still wet from his kiss. She wanted him to stay. Every part of her wanted him to stay but she was following the rules tonight no matter what and the rules said to take this slow. She wasn't going to do anything to fuck this up. Not now. Not when she knew she couldn't let go.

"Maybe I'll give you a call tomorrow and check on that ankle of yours." he said smiling and taking hold of her hand.

Stephanie felt her heart soar and she had to stop herself from grinning like an idiot. It was only a phone call after all but Paul had never called her at home and certainly not on a weekend. God, she couldn't wait to hear his sexy tone on the other end of the line. "Well you do have my number now." she smiled.

"Yes I do."

Paul kissed her again taking her breath away, his tongue softly brushing against hers. Stephanie felt a sudden rush of heat across her chest. Paul was killing her here. Didn't he realise he was breaking the second date rule? How was she meant to go slow when he was kissing her like that? Maybe she should just say fuck it and invite him inside. Her chest was heaving with her heavy breaths as they broke apart. The word stay was on the tip of her tongue but she quickly lost her courage as Paul stepped back.

"I'd better go. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Goodnight Stephanie."

"Goodnight." she smiled.

He let go of her hand, his fingertips lingering for a second, before he turned and walked to the car. Stephanie slid the key in the lock and let herself inside. She resisted the temptation to watch Paul pull away. She didn't want to appear too eager. Instead she limped towards the living room where her magazine sat. She needed to check out the tips for date number three and try her best to wait patiently for his call tomorrow. Okay, she was totally pathetic and it was probably way too soon but she actually had the crazy and insane feeling that she was in love!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Stephanie thanked the newspaper vendor as she gripped the magazine in her hand and began to walk carefully along the street. The cold November afternoon breeze nipped her cheeks and her eyes squinted in the low, bright sun. As she adjusted the strap of her large Donna Karan bag, she wondered if anyone would notice she was a little late getting back from lunch. After all, it was only a matter of minutes and totally not her fault. It was the magazine vendors. He'd had at least ten different bridal magazines and she had to leaf through each one until she could make her choice. Being a bridesmaid meant she had important responsibilities and that included selecting the best bridal magazine there was on offer. She was sure Claire would appreciate the free gift too. It was a guide on the do's and don'ts for your wedding, an absolute must as far as she was concerned, anything to prevent a disaster actually happening on the day. 

Stephanie's heels clicked against the tarmac as she made her way to the office building. She felt a painful twinge in her ankle as she ascended the steps and entered the busy lobby. She smiled at Lucy at the reception desk. In the last couple of days the swelling in her foot had gone down considerably although her skin was a funny purple colour. Still, maybe she shouldn't have worn her chunky heeled boots today and stuck to the flat shoes like she had planned to but she wanted to wear her new red skirt and without the heels she would have looked totally lame. Fashion didn't come without a price even if that meant spending all day hobbling around the office which had its own little perks in a way. Violet had been a total doll fetching her coffee all morning refusing to let her put pressure on her foot. In fact, she'd had to wait until Violet had left for lunch before she could make her own escape from the building and grab some fresh air. She'd practically had on her on desk rest especially with Paul being out of the office. He was at a meeting with some major account.

As Stephanie made her way to the elevator, she wondered if he would be in this afternoon. She was dying to see him. It had felt like days since he'd kissed her goodbye although he had called her yesterday like he had promised to. She'd been so nervous when she had lifted the phone and heard his voice at the end of the line. 

"Hey you!" 

A slow smile crept across her face. Those were the words he had greeted her with causing her heart to dance. His deep, sexy tone sounded so clear and so vivid in her head. It was like Paul was standing right next to her right now. God, she was even that hopeless she could smell his cologne. That spicy, intoxicating scent that made her want to bury her face in his neck and get lost in him forever.

"You know, I thought it was you I saw walking along the street." 

Stephanie frowned to herself. Paul never said that though. Now her mind was getting carried away itself inventing conversation between them. She shook her head slightly trying to get a grip and flicking her hair over shoulder. That was when she spotted him out of the corner of her eye standing beside her, smiling at her. She let out a small gasp as her heart flipped madly in her chest. She closed her eyes for a second and opened them again. Yep, Paul was really standing there looking all kinds of sexy in a dark pin striped suit and a crisp white shirt open at the collar. He wasn't wearing a tie today. God, she loved it when he did that because it meant that his neck was exposed, his lovely, smooth thick neck. 

"But then I said to myself it couldn't be Steph." he continued smirking at her sexily as he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. Another thing she absolutely loved him doing. In fact, was there anything he did that she didn't love? She was beginning to think not. "Because at ten minutes past two, she would be sitting at her desk working on that promotion I needed by tomorrow." he said narrowing his brown eyes in her direction. 

Stephanie cleared her throat awkwardly as she began impatiently banging on the elevator button. "Yeah, well I would have been if I hadn't been waiting on this thing forever. And of course I can't take the stairs, you know with my ankle and all."

She pretended to pout at him as she shifted her feet around on the clean marble floor. The least she could do was try and work her injury to her advantage and maybe score her some sympathy points to make up for her tardiness. 

"You're right. I'm sorry." Paul's lips curved upwards in a smile and he nodded his head in acknowledgment at a member of personnel who walked past them. His name was Wilbur or William or something. Stephanie vaguely recognised his face. "How is your foot anyway? Did the ice help with the swelling?" he asked. 

"Yes it did." she smiled. "And I took your advice and kept it elevated just like you told me to." 

"Good girl." he grinned but it slightly faded as he glanced down and noticed her choice of footwear. "Although I guess you must have missed the part where I told you to stop wearing those damn heels. You're going to break your neck one of these days." 

The elevator door pinged open as Stephanie snorted at him indignantly. "They're fashion, Paul but being a man, I wouldn't expect you to understand that." 

As she walked into the elevator, she heard his deep laughter as he followed on behind her. Her mouth quivered with her own smile as his shoulder brushed against hers and she clutched her magazine loosely to her chest. The steel doors pinged closed. 

"So you like reading bridal magazines then?" asked Paul. 

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. God, she had forgotten about all about the magazine. She pressed the cover firmly to her, hiding it from view. "What? Em, no." she stuttered. "It's a fashion magazine actually." 

Paul raised his eyebrows fractionally. "A fashion magazine called Brides Unlimited?" 

Stephanie scrunched her nose in disapproval as she quickly stuffed her magazine in her bag wondering why on earth Paul had to notice everything. He was too damn observant for his own good sometimes. As she tilted her head upwards, she noticed his brown eyes twinkling in her direction. 

"Planning on getting hitched?" he winked. 

"No!" she stammered feeling her face explode with heat. God, she had to clear up this mess and quickly. She didn't want Paul thinking all she did was fantasise about weddings and marriage and certainly not with him. In fact the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Well, no more than once. Okay, maybe even twice and the time where she typed his last name against hers absolutely did not count. It wasn't her fault if her fingers got mixed up and used the wrong keys although Stephanie Levesque had looked kind of pretty on screen. "If you must know, there's more to life to getting married." she said.

"There is?" 

"Yes." she nodded as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean, there's my career of course not to mention things I want to accomplish with my life before I tie myself down like maybe jetting around the world or taking up yoga." 

"Yoga?" asked Paul, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement. 

"Yeah. I mean, that's probably going to take me at least ten years or so." 

"Ten years, huh?" 

Stephanie shrugged. "Well maybe seven or eight depending on how things go." 

Paul looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before leaning his head towards her. "Well I hate to tell you this baby but in seven or eight years time, your fashion magazine could be a little out of date." 

The corner of her mouth trembled at the corners as she tried her hardest not to grin like a loony. Baby! Paul had called her baby! It was like a term of endearment, sort of like a pet name or something. Something that couples did together. Oh my God, they were acting like a couple! Stephanie cleared her throat as she told herself to mentally get a grip. After all, she didn't want to scare Paul off. He was probably already freaking out about the magazine thinking she was a deranged bunny boiler or something who wanted to tie him down after two dates. 

"The magazine is not for me, silly. It's for Claire." she explained. "She's asked me to be her bridesmaid, remember? I told you that yesterday when you called to check on my ankle. Which was really sweet of you, by the way." she smiled shyly. 

"Sweet, nothing. Your ankle was a convenient excuse for me. See, I was planning to call you anyway." 

"You were?" 

Paul nodded and his face moved towards hers and for a brief second she stopped breathing. He was going to kiss her. She just knew he was. She could feel her lips tingle in anticipation but all too soon she was disappointed as the elevator doors sprung open. She silently cursed them under her breath as she made her way onto their floor. 

"Stephanie, there you are! I thought I told you not to leave your desk." Violet's big green eyes went wide as Paul stepped out from the elevator. "Mr Levesque, I'm sorry. I…I was just looking for Stephanie. I didn't realise she was with you." she stammered as her fingers wrung nervously together.

Violet was always wary of Paul. Stephanie never understood why. Okay he was big and muscular and intimidating to Violet's tiny five foot frame but he was really like a giant big teddy bear. He was soft and gentle and warm, minus the cute bow of course and the brown fur. 

"That's okay." he smiled. "I have to go see Garry in design anyway. Perhaps you could escort Stephanie back to her desk for me. Make sure she doesn't trip up in those fashionable heels of hers." 

Stephanie bit down on her lip to contain her smile as Violet followed her towards the office. She tried not to inhale her pungent perfume as she hobbled towards her desk. She ignored the ugly smirk Mandy threw her way as they passed her cubicle. God knows what that she was so amused about. Maybe she was salivating at the fact that she was late and she would get to tell Nick all about it. In fact, she'd probably scribbled the time down in that notepad of hers and underlined it several times. 2.13pm. Stephanie finally back in office. Stupid bitch! 

"Where did you get to anyway? I told you I would bring you back lunch." 

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to grab some air." Stephanie smiled at Violet as she sat down on her chair. She placed her bag down on her desk. She noticed the misplaced box file and felt herself bristle in annoyance. Mandy had obviously been raking around again. She swore she deliberately put in back in the wrong place on purpose. Well any more of it and she would be definitely having words with her but not now and not today. She was in far too much of a good mood and not even Mandy the Mouth could spoil it. Not after Paul saying he wanted to call her, sore foot or no sore foot. God, the man was so sweet. Was it any wonder he monopolised her every thought? 

"Is that a bridal magazine?" gushed Violet. 

Stephanie nodded as she pulled the magazine out from her bag and casually began to flick through it. "Claire is getting married and she's asked me to be a bridesmaid." 

"Oh my God, that's great. I was a bridesmaid once." 

"Me too." Stephanie smiled as she looked up at Violet. "I was seven at the time, I think. My Mom's cousin was getting married. That was the orange frilly taffeta incident I told you about last week." 

Violet frowned slightly. "I thought that was your brother's wedding?" 

"No. I wore red silk at his. The dress was absolutely beautiful." 

"So, this is your third time round at being a bridesmaid?" 

"Yes." Stephanie beamed proudly although her smile faltered as she noticed Violet grimace slightly. 

"You know what they say, don't you? Three times a bridesmaid, never a bride." 

"What?" asked Stephanie suddenly alarmed. 

"Yeah, it's an old wedding superstition." 

Stephanie tried to tell herself to remain calm. Who believed in old, stupid superstitions anyway? And besides, she wasn't a superstitious person anyway. Okay, she never walked under ladders but that was more health and safety than anything else. And okay she got out of the same side of the bed as she crawled into, but that was just habit. And when she chased after the neighbour's black cat that time, it wasn't because she thought it was taking her good luck with it. She was just worried it would go astray. She was being careful and considerate, that was all. 

"Actually, it's not superstition. It's a fact." interrupted Mandy whose face appeared over the top of her cubicle. Stephanie sighed inwardly and dumped the magazine beside her bag and turned towards her computer.  
"It happened to my cousin Ronnie." said Mandy. "She's fifty now and still unattached. In fact, her fiancé broke their engagement off right after she was a bridesmaid for a third time. She was devastated and has been single ever since." 

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she clicked on her e-mails. Was it any wonder Ronnie was unattached and single if the piggy-like features of her cousin Mandy were anything to go by? 

"Still, I'm sure that won't happen to you, Stephanie. I'm sure you'll find a nice, handsome man one day." Stephanie lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. She swore there was a sarcastic tone to her voice.  
"In fact, you've maybe got your eye on someone already." 

Stephanie quickly shook her head. "No." 

"Well, love does turn up in the most unexpected of places. A bar, a club or even at work." 

Okay, there was no denying it. Mandy was looking at her strangely. 

"You know, lot of people find romance in the office or secretly lust after a work colleague. Do you know over eighty percent of woman at one time have had a crush on their boss?" 

Stephanie narrowed her eyes suspiciously in her direction. Surely Mandy knew nothing about her and Paul. She couldn't. There was no way unless……. 

"It's true, you know. I had a crush on my boss once. Lydia Henderson was her name." 

Stephanie swallowed thickly as Nick suddenly appeared. His grey eyes almost glinted in her direction behind his glasses. Surely to God, he hadn't seen her with Paul Saturday night. There was no way he could have. There was definitely no way. They'd hidden behind the billboard and double checked that he had gone. Stephanie felt her stomach begin to churn madly as she tried to search his face for an answer. He didn't look anymore smug than usual though and he hadn't even been nice to her all day. They were usually all the tell tale signs and there was no way he wouldn't have said anything. Not before now. Nope, she was pretty sure he didn't suspect a thing. 

"But these things are doomed to failure. Look at Bill Bryce and poor, young Katie. Now there is a perfect example of office relations gone wrong." He paused for a second and smiled in her direction. "Oh and Stephanie, your lunch break lasts for sixty minutes not seventy five. I know punctuality is not your strong point but at least try and make the fucking effort." 

Stephanie scowled as Nick slowly wandered away from her desk. Spiking his coffee with laxatives was sounding more appealing with every passing minute. Bastard! And he was even humming a tune to himself. She faintly recognised it. It was a love song if she wasn't mistaken. Now that was just plain fucking weird. Nick had never hummed a tune in his life. 

"Oh and girls, remember what I said." he called out. 

Stephanie's eyes looked in Violet's direction. She had quickly glanced away and was slowly creeping back to her desk. What had Nick said? What did he want them to remember? She noticed Mandy still hovering around with an even smugger look on her face. Was that bitch still here? She should fuck off to her own desk and leave her the hell alone although no doubt she was practically peeing in her pants at the excitement of knowing something she didn't. Well if she thought she was going to ask her, she was sadly mistaken. She wouldn't ask that bitch anything if her life depended on it. 

"Did you see Paul on your way here? He was looking for you." 

Stephanie nodded her head. "I saw him." 

"Did he, em, mention anything interesting?" 

"Like what?" she asked as she pushed back her chair and lifted a file trying her best to appear disinterested. 

"Oh nothing. I just wondered that's all." 

There was a moment's silence as Stephanie deliberately ignored her, silently chanting the words fuck off in her head. Her foot tapped against the floor. Of course, she was giving Mandy way too much credit. She couldn't take a hint if her life depended on it. She slammed down her file angrily as she glared up at her. "Was there anything else?" she asked forcing a smile. 

"You should probably be a bit more careful with your paperwork. I found a couple of things in the wrong place." said Mandy before quickly walking off back to her own cubicle. 

Stephanie ignored the pain in her ankle as she quickly got to her feet. Her face was red with her anger. She could feel it burning. She quickly grabbed the file she was working on and hobbled towards Paul's office without saying a single word to anyone. Fuck the lot of them. They weren't worth the time or the effort. She settled down in his chair and felt her anger slowly fade away as she began to work on the promotion. She was so absorbed she didn't hear Paul enter the room and it was only when the door closed over that she looked up from the desk to see him standing there smiling widely at her. 

"Well this is a nice surprise! I didn't expect to see you in here." he said as he walked to her side of the desk.

He sat down on the wood next to her. The orange hue from the sun illuminated his face making his handsome features soft and warm. Blonde strands of hair fell loosely around his face. Stephanie felt her heart swell as she grinned up at him. 

"I had to escape. The people out there were driving me nuts." 

Paul smiled as he lifted a sheet of paper from the desk and his brown eyes glanced over it. 

"In fact, they were acting kind of weird, now that I think about it." She pressed her lips together and frowned. "Well weirder than usual, anyway." 

Paul chuckled lightly as he placed the paper back down on the desk. 

"Nick was humming some love song or something and Mandy, well she was asking really annoying questions like if I'd seen you and if you'd mentioned something to me." Stephanie smiled at him as she absently scratched the bridge of her nose. "Do you know what it is she was on about because I for one do not have a clue?" 

Paul cleared his throat and glanced down at the floor. Stephanie furrowed her brow as she moved her chair towards him. He did know something. What wasn't he telling her? 

"Paul?" 

As he tilted his head up at her, she saw his brown eyes sparkle with amusement. There was a sly smirk creeping across his face. God, now she was even more confused. What the hell was so funny and why was she not in on the joke? She found herself getting agitated. Christ, she'd only been late by ten minutes. Ten bloody minutes not fifteen like fucking Nick seemed to think. What the hell could have happened in that short space of time? Her hand gripped his arm firmly as she looked deeply into his eyes. 

"Paul, will you tell me what's going on! What the hell was Mandy on about?" 

Paul shifted on the desk and took her hand in his, his thumb lightly tracing her knuckle with a hint of a smile on his face. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked. 

"Like what?" asked Stephanie, confused. 

"Oh I don't know. Maybe something you'd scribbled down and perhaps left lying around for certain nosy co-workers to find?" 

Stephanie pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No. Not that I can think of." 

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. 

Stephanie racked her brains. What on earth had she scribbled down? There was her shopping list and her to-do list. Laundry and milk were at the top of those lists but why on earth would that amuse everyone unless there was another list. Of course there was the list she had made on Friday, the one with all her outfits. So that was it. They thought her itemising her whole wardrobe was hilarious but why? And what the hell did that have to do with Nick singing love songs? It just didn't make any sense unless of course it was one of those rare occasions where Nick was just in a good mood but that very seldom happened and usually for a reason. Maybe he'd gotten laid last night. Maybe it was an annual event for him or something but even still that had nothing to do with her scribbling something down and having crush on his boss, Lydia what's-her-face. Shit! A crush on his boss. Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as she remembered. She'd scribbled Paul's name on her list. 

"Oh my God!" she whispered.

She quickly dropped Paul's hand as she stood up from the desk. The blood was beating in her ears. Her entire body was gripped with horror. Her face was hot with embarrassment as she deliberately avoided Paul's gaze. This was so humiliating. It was even worse than the time she was sixteen and her parents had walked in and caught her boyfriend fondling at her breasts. She had never lived that one down. She doubted she would live this one down either. How could she look everyone in the eye knowing they knew what they knew about her? Stephanie tried to push past Paul but he gripped her arm firmly halting her in her tracks. 

"Steph?" 

Stephanie slowly raised her head and met his gentle eyes. She pushed back the lump in her throat. "You know, don't you?" she whispered. 

Paul pulled her closer towards him wearing a gentle smile on his face. "Yes." He paused for a second as he rubbed her arm affectionately. "But if it helps, I thought the heart around my name was a cute touch." 

Stephanie gasped in shock. "Oh my God! I don't believe this." she cried. She quickly dropped her head unable to look at him. "I've never felt so embarrassed and humiliated in my entire life." 

"Don't be." 

"But everyone knows!" She lifted her head and placed her hand over her mouth. Her blue eyes were wide with shock. "Oh my God, Paul! Everyone knows." 

"Come here." He pulled her into his arms but even his warm embrace couldn't soothe her. Everyone knew which meant she had no choice but to leave. God, they had been so careful too keeping things discreet and quiet and now she had ruined it with a stupid scribble. She was such a bloody idiot. She lifted her head from his shoulder and her blue eyes scanned his face frantically. 

"I've ruined things and it's all my fault. How could I have been so stupid, Paul? I knew Mandy was going through my files and stuff. Why did I leave that lying around for her to find?" 

Paul lifted his big hand pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and he sighed softly. "Steph, it's not your fault. It's your desk, your stuff. She had no right just raking through it like that or spreading around what she had found to anyone." 

"Yeah, well she's gone and done it now. God, I'll bet she couldn't believe her fucking piggy eyes when she saw it. They probably popped right out of her head and she probably nearly exploded with the excitement of it all too." 

Paul gave a tiny snort of amusement. 

Stephanie scowled at him. "It's not funny, Paul." 

He quickly pressed his lips together and looked serious. "I'm not laughing." 

"Good." She sighed heavily as her fingers began playing with his collar. "I guess I'll just have to dazzle you with my knowledge of cappuccinos now." 

"What?" he asked, his nose scrunching with his confusion. 

"Starbucks. It's my fallback option." she explained. 

"Fallback option for what?" 

"Losing my job." she said sadly. "We're not allowed to date remember and I won't let you get fired like Bill Bryce did. You don't deserve that, Paul. I'd rather stink of coffee beans and wear a dingy white apron than let that happen to you." 

Paul's brown eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled fondly at her, his fingertips tracing her face. "I won't get fired Steph and you won't have to serve coffee for a living. No one even suspects that we're dating." 

"But what about your name and the heart?" she asked. 

"It just means people think you've got a little crush on me, that's all." He smirked at her and winked as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Which is perfectly understandable of course." he teased. 

"Of course." she smiled as she reached up and brushed her fingers through the ends of his hair but her smile disappeared as she thought about everyone out in that office, everyone who right this very minute were probably laughing their heads off at her. How on earth was she meant to face them never mind work with them? They knew she liked Paul. They'd seen his name with a little heart around it. Maybe she could just stay in here and Paul could smuggle her in and out. No one would even have to know. 

"Try not to worry, Steph. This whole thing will blow over soon." he hushed. 

Stephanie sighed heavily as she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. "I wish I could believe you." 

Paul's hand slowly rubbed her back as he pressed a soft kiss in her hair. "It will, I promise and if it helps, I'm going to talk to Mandy. I'm going to have a little word with her about respecting people's personal and private property." 

Stephanie smiled and lifted her head. His brown eyes were serious. He really was going to stick it to the bitch and that made her feel a little better although she still felt totally embarrassed about the whole thing. Maybe she'd wear really dark sunglasses for the rest of the week or a great huge floppy hat. 

"Is there anything in particular you'd like me to say to her on your behalf? You know, while I have the opportunity." Paul smiled. 

Stephanie bit down on her lip and chewed thoughtfully. A small smile traced her lips as she placed her hands on his firm chest. "How about not taking stuff from my desk without my permission. Oh and putting things back where she finds them." 

"Consider it done." he nodded seriously. 

"And not going behind my back and trying to undermine my ideas for any promotions. Oh and maybe you could casually mention that I am perfectly entitled to have more than six cups of coffee a day?" 

"I'll see if I can that one fit in." he smiled. 

"And tell her that wearing scarves around your neck are the height of fashion nowadays according to Cosmopolitan nonetheless and it doesn't make you a fucking trolley dolly." 

"That one might look a little suspicious don't you think?" 

Stephanie shrugged and grinned. "Well, maybe just a little." 

"I'll talk to her this afternoon." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "In the meantime, just ignore anything she has to say, okay?" 

Stephanie nodded. From now she would have selective deafness as far as that bitch was concerned. 

"Don't let her wind you up, Steph." Paul wrapped his arms around her. Stephanie leant her head back against his chest finding herself melting into his embrace. "She's not worth it."

His soft lips brushed her temple and Stephanie felt her frustrations slowly begin to ebb away. She inhaled the soft scent of his cologne. Paul definitely had a magic touch. He was like her good mood pill or something. Just one look or one kiss and she felt her spirits instantly lift. He really was amazing. 

"Oh and I meant you ask you last night. If you're not busy, maybe we could do something tomorrow evening? Like go for a drink or something." 

Stephanie felt her heart swell as she quickly nodded her head. "I'd like that." she said and sighed contentedly into him.

Their third official date together. She had twenty four hours to prepare for it and mentally prepare this time. She had totally learned her lesson. No more scribbled lists for her and absolutely no temptation to doodle Paul's name. No-one or nothing was going to spoil this. Not even fucking Babyliss or Nick! Surely to God, she'd be third time lucky. Lady Luck had to smile on her sometime. After all, no-one could be that cursed now, could they?


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Stephanie rose from her chair and peered over the top of her cubicle. The office was practically empty and the phones were silent. She glanced at the clock and raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was almost seven o'clock. Violet and Nick had gone home over an hour ago. In the corner of the room, Mandy was pulling on her coat and she offered a smile and a wave in Stephanie's direction. Stephanie quickly waved back before disappearing behind the partition wall once more. She shook her head in disbelief. Mandy was really starting to freak her out now. This morning she'd only been in the door a matter of seconds before the Mouth had brought her a mug of fresh coffee. She'd never ever brought her coffee to her desk in her life. All day long she'd asked politely before she borrowed a file and she'd even thrown in a compliment about her red cashmere sweater. It looked like Paul had really read Mandy the riot act in his office yesterday. She was desperate to know what he said but had never had the chance to ask him.

Stephanie smiled to herself as she stared at her large computer screen. There was something incredibly romantic about him defending her honour like that and of course he had been so sweet about the whole thing offering her comforting words of encouragement instead of mocking her. He'd even escorted her out to her desk afterwards discreetly squeezing her shoulder as he left. There just weren't enough words to describe how wonderful Paul was. How on earth she managed to grab his attention, she would never know never mind getting to date him and hold him and kiss him. Every time she thought of him, bubbles of excitement formed in her stomach. She had never felt this way about anyone before. Paul was so special and who knew what fate had in store for them. After all, it was fate that had brought them together in the first place and probably for a very good reason. There was every chance he could turn out to the one, the happily ever after that secretly she had been searching for lately. After all, she was twenty five years old. It was time that she seriously thought about her future.

Stephanie clicked her mouse on the highlighted link. It was a website specialising on wedding customs and superstitions. Her conversation with Violet yesterday had definitely unnerved her. She needed to do something to combat this whole "three times a bridesmaid never a bride thing." Not that she was superstitious. She wasn't but a girl needed all the help she could get. Well that and the fact that the story of Mandy's cousin Ronnie stuck in her mind. She didn't want to be fifty, piggy eyed and all alone. She wanted a husband, children and grandchildren, even the white picket fence. She wanted the fairytale and she was going to do everything in her power to get it. God knows she's kissed enough frogs in her time to deserve her handsome prince.

Stephanie clicked once again and pulling her black, thin rimmed glasses down from her hair, her eyes eagerly scanned the screen. They widened as she pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose and began to read. To guarantee lasting affection, you needed the possession of a lock of the other's hair, tied to form a lovers' knot. She wasn't sure what a lovers' knot was but she would easily find out. All she needed to do first was get a hair or two from Paul's head. That would be easy enough and she would have a perfect opportunity tonight. After all, they were going out on a date.

She smiled widely as she stretched her arms lazily out in front of her. She wondered what time they were meeting up. Paul was leaving it pretty late to tell her. Stephanie clicked off the website and pushing back her chair, she slowly stood up. She took off her glasses and placed them down on her desk. She noticed with relief that Mandy was gone. There was just her and Paul of course. He was still in his office. She would just go in now and say goodbye. Maybe that might prompt him to mention their drink together. Paul had been so busy with meetings today she'd hardly had to chance to see him or talk to him and she'd had her own stuff to work on. Inventing Molly the Molar to promote a children's toothpaste was hardly her finest hour but Nick had seemed happy enough with it. In fact, he'd even smiled and congratulated her on a job well done. It had made her nervous. Nick being even remotely nice to her made her nervous. Maybe Paul had put the fear of God into him too. He hadn't even cursed at her once all day, a definite record as far as their working relationship went. It was suspicious and weird but she wasn't going to dwell on it. She had more important things on her mind like the six foot four God just down the corridor.

Stephanie bent down and retrieved her red handbag from the floor. She quickly applied a little lip gloss running her tongue along her teeth. She automatically lifted out her perfume but shaking her head, she placed it back in her bag. She sniffed at her wrist and inhaled the vanilla scent. It was more than enough. She didn't want Paul to choke or anything. She'd already liberally sprayed herself just a matter of an hour ago when she'd gone to the bathroom and touched up her makeup just in the off chance he had suggested going for a drink straight from work. Flicking her perfectly straightened chestnut hair over her shoulder, Stephanie made her way to his office, her small heeled shoes causing her to limp very slightly. She'd taken Paul's advice and ditched the high heels today. Her ankle had been throbbing last night and she just couldn't face the same torture again today not when her foot had been literally screaming at the thought of her boots.

As Stephanie approached Paul's door, it was open just a crack. She could see his legs propped up on his desk as he sang an unrecognisable tune to himself. It was probably some of that loud noise crap she had heard a couple of times in his car. She pushed the door open a little wider. He was sitting reclined in his chair leafing through a bundle of papers he held in his hand. He looked beautiful with his blonde hair tucked behind his ears, the straight neat ends resting on his black shirt. Stephanie let herself admire him for a second before knocking on the fresh wood making her presence known as she chuckled to herself.

Paul's head quickly turned in her direction and a soft smile crossed his face as he noticed her standing there, causing her heart to skip a beat or two. "Are you laughing at me?"

Stephanie bit down on her lip trying to disguise her own smile. "Now would I do such a thing?"

"Yes." he said firmly dropping his legs from the desk and swivelling his chair round, he placed the papers on his messy desk. Stephanie noticed the two empty coffee cups on the window ledge behind him. The sky was black dark through the glass and scattered with stars. Odd windows from the building across the street were bathed in a soft glow of light signalling that they weren't the only ones still in the office. Paul was adjusting the expensive black leather strap watch on his wrist. "I didn't think anyone else was still here. What time is it?"

"It's a little after seven." she replied approaching his desk. She noticed his voice sounded nasally and hoarse. She glanced at him a little worried. Paul sounded choked up yet still extremely sexy. She really was totally pathetic when it came to this man.

"Really? I didn't realise it was so late." he sighed.

Stephanie gestured towards the cluttered mess as she stood in front of it. Paul had gotten to his feet and was walking round to her side of the desk. "You know, I could always stay behind and give you a hand with some of this." she offered.

"No, I'm okay." Paul turned his head away and placing his hand over his mouth, he coughed.

Stephanie's brow tensed with concern. "Well, you look far from okay to me. In fact, you sound awful. I should take you home to bed right now."

Paul took a couple of steps closer to her and sat on the edge of his desk, the left hand corner of his mouth upturning into a smirk. "Is that an invitation, Miss McMahon?"

Stephanie felt the heat rise to her cheeks as his shoulders shook with his silent laughter. Her fingers wrung together nervously in front of her. "Look, that didn't come out the way I meant it to."

"That's a pity." he grinned before it quickly faltered and he coughed again, his shoulders violently shaking. Stephanie's blue eyes were concerned as she reached over and caressed his shoulder. His brown eyes were glossed over as they looked up at her and he sniffed, shaking his head. "I'm mad that I'm getting sick. I never get sick. Ever. Maybe you shouldn't stand so close to me. You might catch what I've got."

"Oh I think I can brave it." she smiled as she stood between his thick parted thighs. Her hand lifted to push back his hair from his forehead and as she leaned slightly forward to place a tender kiss there, she felt the heat from his skin. It was so warm and clammy. Her lips down turned into a frown as her blue eyes looked into his. "Paul, you're burning up. Seriously, you should call it a day and go home."

He sighed heavily. "I can't. I have this promotion to finish for an early morning meeting tomorrow. I wanted to make it later so I had more time but apparently the company are flying out to Tokyo tomorrow night so I really don't have a choice."

"Then why don't you let me stay behind and help you." she said gently pushing a loose strand of hair from his face. "That way you can get it done quicker."

"You don't have to do that, Steph. I'm sure you could have other plans. Plans that don't involve being here until God knows when helping me."

Stephanie forced a smile as her hand fell away from his face. She tried not to feel disappointed that Paul had obviously forgotten about their date, well not that it was officially a date. But he had asked her out for a drink and she had even worn her favourite lingerie today just in case they……..well, just in case. After all, it was reading her trusty Cosmopolitan that had brought the "third date rule" to her attention. She'd never heard of it before now but apparently the third date is "the one" – well according to the guy's rules of dating anyway. And Paul was a guy so maybe he had expected something to happen between them tonight. Not that she would be complaining if he did. The truth was she wanted Paul badly. He was all she could think about. She was even day dreaming about him for Christ sakes. No guy had ever made her feel this way in her life. She felt happy, tingly, giddy and overwhelmed all at the same time. Of course, it would help if he actually remembered they had a third date in the first place. Stephanie sighed softly and pushed back her hair. Maybe it was the first sign he was beginning to lose interest in her. Maybe her cursed little life hadn't gripped him as much as he had claimed it had. Maybe this whole three times a bridesmaid crap had really put a hex on her.

Stephanie's mouth parted in a silent gasp. If that was the case, she had to act now and act quickly. No damn wedding curse was going to spoil her happily ever after.

Stephanie's blue eyes fell to Paul's broad shoulders. They eagerly scanned the crisp black, cotton material and her fingers reached out triumphantly as she discovered the loose long blonde strand currently resting near the collar.

"Em Steph, what are you doing?"

Stephanie quickly held her fingers in mid air as she met Paul's curious stare. She shrugged non-chalantly. "I thought I saw a loose hair on your shirt. I was going to brush it off. You don't want to go around looking like that. I mean, people will think you're moulting or something."

Paul's heavy eyes managed to sparkle with amusement. "Well, we can't have that."

"Exactly." she exclaimed as her fingers reached and tugged sharply at the strand. She had grabbed an extra couple beside it just to be safe. After all, the more hair the better chance it had of working.

"Ow!" he cried.

Stephanie smiled apologetically as she stepped back from him firmly gripping the strands between her thumb and forefinger. "Sorry. I guess it wasn't loose after all."

"No, but it is now."

"I'm sorry." she repeated.

"That's okay. I always wanted to be bald before I was forty." Paul chuckled and getting up from the desk, he walked to his chair.

As he turned his back, Stephanie stuffed the locks of hair safely into her trouser pocket. Mission accomplished. Now all she had to do was find someway of forming that knot. She would do that the minute she got home but right now her focus was Paul and trying to help him. His beautiful brown eyes were so bloodshot and heavy. He was definitely coming down with something that was for sure. She felt a stab of guilt in her stomach. And here she was only worried about herself and their date when he was genuinely sick. How horrible was she? She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and smiled at him. "So why don't we run over this promotion together?"

Paul smiled at her gently as he wearily rubbed at the stubble on his chin. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I insist." she smiled as she lifted the seat just beside her and carrying it round to his side of the desk, she placed it beside Paul before sitting down on the brown padded leather. His big hand was rubbing at his eye. She could smell the faint trace of his spicy cologne. "You look tired."

Paul quickly shook his head and unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. "I'm not tired."

"Yeah, I can see that." she smiled and immediately stood up from her chair. "I'm going to get you some hot tea from the machine before we get started."

Paul's fingers gently grabbed her wrist stopping her to get her attention. "I'm fine, honestly Stephanie and actually, I don't like tea very much."

"Coffee then?"

He quickly shook his head. "But I tell you what. I do have something that might help take the edge off." Dropping her wrist, he leaned across to his right opening the drawer. Stephanie sat back slowly in her seat as she watched him curiously. He had a bottle of bourbon in his hand. He grinned as he placed the full bottle on the desk in front of him. "I've been saving this up for a special occasion." he joked.

Stephanie laughed as her hand gestured towards the scattered pieces of paper on the messy desk. "This isn't exactly what I could call special."

"Well you're here." Paul said simply as he stood up and walked behind her pausing to gently kiss the top of her hair. "That makes it pretty special to me." he hushed in her ear before disappearing out of the room.

Stephanie felt her heart flip in her chest and her stomach danced as she closed her eyes and remembered the way his breath tickled against her skin. Paul thought she was special. Her! Special! She bit down on her lip to contain her grin, her earlier disappointment about their date quickly forgotten. Maybe tonight wouldn't turn out so badly after all. After all she was here with Paul. That was all that mattered to her. Stephanie's eyes quickly opened as she heard his footsteps enter the room. He had two crystal glass tumblers in his hand.

"I pinched these from the board room." he grinned proudly. He sat back down in his seat, pouring them both large measures. Stephanie lifted her drink and smiled at him as Paul winked and tilted his glass towards hers, clinking the heavy crystal together. "To us." he said before taking a mouthful of the brown fiery liquid.

"Us." Stephanie echoed before following suit, visibly grimacing as the burning alcohol hit the back of her throat. She swallowed hard and scrunched up her nose as she looked at Paul. Her lips smacked together as she tried to adjust to the taste. "Good God. Where did you get this? It's potent."

Paul laughed as he placed down his glass and turned slightly in his chair to face her. "You know that meeting I attended in Detroit? Well, this was one of the drinks we will be promoting next month. It's good stuff, huh?"

"I don't know about good but it's certainly strong." she replied as she sniffed cautiously at her glass. "A couple of glasses of this and I'll be lying flat out on this desk."

"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry and drink up, woman." he snickered before placing the drink to his lips.

Stephanie shook her head amused and leaned forward towards him, her glass dangling between her manicured fingers. "So, that's your plan, huh? You ply me with alcohol just so you can take advantage of me."

Paul swallowed his drink and placed it down on the table, his smouldering brown eyes making her body tingle all over. "And you go and say that like it's a bad thing."

"Oh trust me, its not." she quickly replied. Stephanie couldn't help herself as her mouth moved towards his and her eyes fluttered shut as she kissed him. Her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest. Paul could probably hear it. His lips were so warm and soft and tasted of bourbon. Her left hand blindly searched for the desk placing down her glass on the wood. Her fingers instinctively reached for him, touching the ends of his soft blonde hair. They loosely tangled through them as Paul's mouth slightly parted, deepening the kiss. A soft moan escaped from her lips as his hand rested on her thigh, squeezing it firmly underneath the material of her trousers before slowly and painfully creeping up her leg. They instinctively parted wider needing to feel his touch, wanting him. God, her whole body was throbbing right now. Was it wrong that Paul had barely touched her and she wanted him so badly? God help her if he actually……….Stephanie's thoughts were interrupted as he gently sucked on her bottom lip before his tongue brushed against hers, making her feel weak and giddy. Her flesh burned where his fingers continued to rub her leg gently. Her own hand drifted to his firm chest fumbling with his buttons. The first one loosened as Paul's mouth kissed her neck. Her throat felt hot as his tongue flicked out tasting her skin. She was struggling to from a single coherent thought as his fingers crept to the inside of her thigh. She moaned deeply this time as his hand touched her breast.

"What the……..?" she muttered as her eyes fluttered open. Stephanie could barely even form a sentence as she looked at Paul, her chest heaving with her breathlessness. He had suddenly pulled away from her. Her body felt cold and empty without his touch. Her blue eyes were wide and confused as she saw him look towards the door, his thick fingers fumbling with the small buttons on his shirt.

"Someone's coming." he explained softly.

Stephanie's heart raced and her mouth was still prickly and wet as she glanced towards the open doorway. She could hear slow footsteps coming down the corridor. She inhaled sharply and fixing the bottom hem of her sweater, she silently cursed whoever it was. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair as they got closer and adjusted her seat so she was facing the desk. She picked up a piece of paper and pretended to be studying it. Boy, she was good. Whoever the bastard was interrupting them, wouldn't have a clue. She briefly glanced at Paul and she gasped as she quickly leaned across rubbing his lips with her thumb.

"Lipstick." she whispered as she sat back in her seat. He nodded at her gratefully as he picked up his drink. She glanced at her paper again trying her best to appear unflustered.

"Drinking on the job, I see."

Stephanie lifted her head and stared in disbelief at the culprit in the doorway. His stupid sailboat patterned shirt annoyed her even more than it did this morning. Nick! Fucking Nick! What was it with this guy? Did he have a built-in radar when it came to her and Paul because the fucker seemed to always turn up trying his best to bust their relationship. She swore he was put on this earth to ruin her life. Didn't he know how close she had been to having Paul and to feeling the touch that her body so desperately craved from him?

"What the hell are you doing back here?" asked Paul.

Good question thought Stephanie as she tried her best not to glare at Nick and instead pretended to busy herself with the paperwork in front of her. After all, she was the soul of discretion.

"I thought you left a while ago."

"I did. I had to pick up the kids from the sitters." smiled Nick as he approached them hovering at the edge of the desk. "But Eleanor is home now and I thought I could help you out. I know the meeting tomorrow was kind of sprung on you last minute."

"You can say that again." sighed Paul. He coughed loudly and Stephanie threw him a concerned glance. It sounded raw and sore. She really hated the thought of him being sick.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Nick.

Yes. Go away Stephanie silently muttered to herself.

"Well, I was just about to explain everything to Steph." Paul's lips upturned into a half smile as he briefly glanced at her. "She volunteered to stay behind and help me out tonight."

Nick nodded. "Well two heads are better than one but three is even better. I'll just go and grab a chair."

Stephanie resisted the urge to punch him out as he looked between her and Paul, smiling at them both. Was it much to ask that he would just go the fuck away? It obviously was. Now what was she meant to do? God knows when she would get to spend some time alone with Paul again. She sighed heavily as Nick left the room.

"Well that was close." hushed Paul.

Stephanie turned towards him, her lips set firmly in an angry scowl. "It's all a conspiracy, I tell you and Nick is in on it."

Paul's nose wrinkled in amusement. "A conspiracy?"

She pointed her manicured finger towards the white painted ceiling. "Someone up there is determined to fuck this thing up, you know. I bet you everywhere we go Nick's ugly mug will show up somewhere."

"Not everywhere."

Stephanie furrowed her brow at him curiously.

"Saturday night, well I'm going to take you my place. Order in some dinner and maybe catch a movie."

Her heart danced in her chest as she smiled at him widely.

"No unexpected Nick sightings. No interruptions. It will be just you and me." Paul briefly glanced at the door before leaning in towards her. She swallowed thickly as he whispered against her ear causing her stomach to flutter. "And maybe then we can pick up where we left off just now."

Stephanie felt a rush of heat through her body as he moved away just in time to see Nick walk back through the door. Her heart was thumping and her mind was dizzy. Just being in close proximity to Paul drove her crazy. God knows what she would be like Saturday when she would be alone with him, all alone. Her body was already tingling with the anticipation. She wasn't anxious at all or scared this was moving way too fast. She knew she wanted him. She wanted Paul so badly she couldn't see straight when he was around her. As her hand absently covered the pocket that held his lock of hair, she realised she would anything she could to keep him. It wasn't an option any more to lose him. Not when she felt this way about him and if meant carrying out stupid little rituals to ensure that, then she was prepared to do it. God knows she needed all the luck she could get and then some.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

She was sick.

Stephanie sniffed as she pulled her red comforter up to her chin. Her throbbing head rested against the cushions of the sofa as she glanced towards the television. Some reality show crap was on but she wasn't really paying attention to it. She was just too miserable to concentrate. It was Saturday night and here she was at home all alone when she should be out having a great time with Paul. It really wasn't fair. Her life bloody sucked actually. He had called her this afternoon and had suggested they cancel their date after listening to her bark at him down the phone for most of the conversation. It was just fucking typical too. She hadn't coughed all morning and despite the fact she felt like total crap, she had still planned to go ahead with their date. She had been determined that nothing was going to get in the way of her spending time with Paul. She hadn't seen him since Monday evening. Tuesday morning he'd called in sick. The very next day she'd had to do the same. It looked like Paul had passed on his illness to her. Their little make out session had given her more than she had bargained for not that she was complaining about it of course.

However, since yesterday afternoon when Paul had called from work to check on her sounding much better himself, she had been pumping her body full of every drug she could find adamant she would be well enough for tonight. She'd even asked Libby to drop off her amber necklace. According to her health magazine, amber beads, worn as a necklace, protected against illness or cured colds. What a heap of crap that was. Here she was feeling absolutely no better and her date cancelled. The last thing in the world she wanted was for that to happen but it had obviously been too much to fucking ask that for once somebody smiled down on her and helped her out a little bit. 

Stephanie sighed heavily and shifted around uncomfortably on the soft cushions. Glancing at the small silver clock on her unit, she saw it was nine o'clock. She should probably go back to bed but the truth was she was bored to tears after spending the majority of the last four days there. She had felt restless and miserable and had come downstairs to watch some television. She was also trying to stop herself from going stir crazy dwelling on what she was missing out on stuck here. God knows, it was all she could think about and okay, that probably made her pathetic but come on. No one in their right mind could blame her. After all, there was every chance that right now, she could be sharing a meal with Paul, probably dessert by this time. Strawberries would be nice. She liked strawberries. She could be feeding them to Paul while straddling his lap. His lips would feel wet and warm against her fingertips. Those big remarkable brown eyes of his would be twinkling at her with amusement and he'd have that sexy smirk on his face, the one that made her want to rip his clothes off right there and then. In fact, wait a second. This was her imagination, her rules. She could be doing anything she liked right now. She could be feeding him the strawberries only after demanding that Paul had sat there wearing nothing but that sexy smirk of his which he would be more than willing to do of course. Yes. That was so much better now especially when she would feel his smooth firm thighs pressed against her amongst other things of course.

Stephanie smiled to herself as her mind continued to drift. The burning heat from his body would make her mind hazy with desire especially when his big soft hands were pushing up the hem of the short denim skirt she had planned to wear tonight. His thick fingers would be squeezing her flesh, teasing her. Her heart would be hammering in her chest as they crept agonisingly slow towards her aching centre. She would grab him and kiss him deeply unable to help herself tasting the strawberries she had just fed him. As her fingernails lightly scraped the skin on his massive chest, his tongue would meet hers causing her spine to tingle. Her whole body would be on fire as she anticipated his touch. It would be trembling with want desperate for him and just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, her loud moan would break their kiss as Paul slid his fingers into her……what on earth?

The loud knocking interrupted her. Stephanie immediately scowled as she glared in the direction of her hallway. Who the fuck was that and more importantly why the hell had they interrupted her? She had just gotten to the hot part. Talk about the worst timing in the world. It was probably those Jehovah Witnesses again. They had been here twice already this week, the last time being only this morning. They'd stuck a leaflet through her door about God and sin and death. Now they'd returned probably wanting to save her. Stephanie sighed in frustration as they knocked once again, this time a little louder. Couldn't they take the hint that she wasn't interested?

Throwing back the comforter, she switched off the television and on slight shaky legs, she made her way to the door. Damn it, she knew she should have left the light off in the living room. It had obviously alerted them to the fact someone was home. She was probably the only one too. Yes she was the one lame person in the whole god damn block that was home on a Saturday night. That didn't give them the divine right to hassle her though. Pulling up the thin spaghetti strap of her baby pink pyjama top, Stephanie slightly shivered at the chill in the small hallway. Her fingers fumbled with the lock and as she opened the door, she scowled. "I hope you realise you're harassing a sick woman here." 

Her blue eyes went wide as she poked her head around the door and her mouth hung open as she saw him standing there, smiling at her. Butterflies fluttered madly in her chest. It was Paul. His blonde strands were blowing behind him in the light wind. They looked damp and he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and matching track pants. He had a bag in his hand. God, he looked amazing and definitely a sight for sore eyes. The question was what was he doing here? He hadn't mentioned coming round when she had talked to him earlier. Not that she was complaining, not by a long shot. It was so great to see him. She had missed him so much. 

"Hey." he said. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by like this. I just wanted to check how you were feeling." 

Stephanie smiled opening the door a little wider. Paul really was so sweet thinking about her like that. His voice still sounded a little nasally but it was sexy as hell. 

"I didn't get you out of bed did I?" 

She quickly shook her head and standing aside, she invited him in. He felt huge standing there in her tiny hallway. As she closed the door behind him, she felt a chill from outside and realised she was only wearing her pyjamas. She felt herself immediately start to panic as bubbles of anxiety formed in her stomach. Oh my God. Paul was here and she knew she looked like absolute shit right now. Her hair hadn't seen a brush for days. She probably looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards not to mention the fact she hadn't even cleaned her teeth today. She probably had dog breath and everything. Stephanie briefly looked towards the stairs doing a mental calculation in her head. In a matter of minutes she could freshen herself up. She turned and tried to smile calmly at Paul while inside she felt antsy. He was staring at her curiously and no wonder. She probably looked like some hideous creature you would see at Halloween. She quickly gestured towards the door, her feet shifting against the soft beige carpet. "Do you want to make yourself comfortable? I'll just be a minute." 

He nodded and as he disappeared into the living room, Stephanie's feet clattered up the stairs. She burst into her bedroom, her head spinning with where to start. She quickly ran to her dresser drawer and pulling out a fresh pair of white cotton pyjamas, she rushed to the bathroom. She resisted the urge to shriek as she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes went wide with disbelief as she peered distraught into the glass. Her fingers pulled at the bottom rims. They were horribly red and bloodshot. Raw skin was flaking around her nose and her lips were dry and cracked. Her hair was a horrible greasy, limp mess. She lifted up her armpits and winced as she sniffed. Her blocked nose couldn't disguise the fact that she smelled less than fresh. She honestly couldn't believe Paul had seen her looking like this.

Refusing to sicken herself any further, Stephanie quickly began damage control and grabbed her toothbrush. Minutes later she felt a little more presentable as she checked her reflection once again. Her freshly washed and moisturised face glowed but that was probably due to how hot she felt. Rushing around wasn't good for you when you were sick. She felt a little dizzy from her quick blast under the shower. Still, at least now she resembled something vaguely human. Her lips shimmered and tingled with her apple lip balm. Her hair had been brushed within an inch of its life in a desperate attempt to rejuvenate the limp strands and was neatly clipped up. She'd also dabbed a little jojoba oil on her neck. It had been the best she could do under the circumstances. She quickly made her way downstairs reluctant to leave Paul alone for another minute. After all, he probably wouldn't stay long. She was going to make the most of every second. 

Stephanie walked into the living room and Paul looked up from the sofa. His welcoming grin made her heart swell. She thought about the knot of his hair currently sitting in the small pill box in her drawer. It had guaranteed lasting affection between them. Well checking up on her was a definite sign of that affection. Maybe it was even a sign that he cared for her. Biting down on her bottom lip, Stephanie resisted the urge to grin. Instead, she sat down next to him. The comforter crumpled underneath her. As her eyes briefly glanced around the room, she found it surprisingly tidy. Then again, she hadn't really been down here to make her usual cluttered mess. There were a couple of magazines lying on the carpeted floor but that was it really. A glass of water sat on the light wood coffee table. She silently congratulated herself on her cleanliness. 

"So, how are you feeling?" asked Paul. His big hand reached to cover hers and squeezed it gently. 

"A little better, thanks. I even ventured out of bed as you can see." she smiled. She didn't have to tell him that part of the reason she had been lying here was because she was trying to take her mind off him. Unsuccessfully, she might add. 

"At least, you're not coughing like you were this afternoon. I was a little worried about you, you know." 

Stephanie felt touched as she looked into his concerned brown eyes. Paul had been worried about her. That was practically telling her he cared. He really was a lovely man but of course she'd known that from the moment he'd seen her crying on the train that night and asked her if she was okay. He really had been so kind to her listening to her drunken rambling though how she hadn't sent him running in the opposite direction, she didn't quite know. Still, she wasn't going to question it. Not when it had brought them both here and in some strange way, showed that they were meant to find one another. They were supposed to be together. Maybe it was even written in the stars. Okay, now she had to stop. She was getting delusional. Maybe she should have gone a little easier on the drugs today because they were clearly messing with her head. 

"It's why I wanted to drop by on my way home and make sure you were okay. I also brought you a couple of things." Paul let go of her hand and bending over slightly, picked up the paper bag at his feet. He smiled at her as he placed it on his lap. "I got these on my way here from the gym." 

Stephanie's lips curved upwards. He'd been for a workout. That explained his clothes and the damp hair that caused the strands to curl slightly at the ends. His big hand lifted pushing it behind his ears before it reached into the bag. God, she loved that. She loved him touching his hair. In fact, she loved everything he did. She was absolutely hopeless but she honestly didn't care. Stephanie sniffed and clearing her throat, she settled back against the cushions. "So, you were at the gym on a Saturday night?" 

He nodded his head as his hand lifted out of the bag. 

"Paul, you really need to get a life." 

His hand suddenly stopped remaining concealed behind the brown paper. It rustled softly as he shifted his legs underneath. "Is that so?" he asked, amused. 

Stephanie absently rubbed at her temple. Her headache was still niggling away but she was surprisingly feeling a little better. Of course, that was all down to Paul being here. He had lifted her spirits considerably. "Well, come on." she replied. "It's definitely not my idea of a weekend activity or any other normal person's either." 

"So what you're saying is I'm not normal?" 

"Well, no, not exactly. What I'm saying is…….." She pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "Let's just say you're definitely unique." 

His amused brown eyes narrowed in her direction. "I'm hoping that's a good thing?" 

Stephanie nodded her head and grinned. "Oh trust me, it's a very good thing even if you are a gym freak." 

"A freak? You're calling me a freak?" 

She giggled. 

"You know, just for that you're not getting the ice cream I brought you." 

Stephanie's blue eyes lit up. "You brought me ice cream?" 

"I thought it might soothe your sore throat. Shame you'll never find out though." 

As she reached for the bag, he pulled it away and placed it on the arm of the sofa. Her lips pouted at him as he shook his head playfully in her direction. 

"It was cookie dough flavour too." he shrugged.

Stephanie gasped. "But that's my favourite." 

"Yeah, well that's just tough." 

"Now you're being cruel to me." 

Paul's shoulders shook with his deep chuckle. 

"In fact, you're crueller than cruel. I am sick you know and it's all your fault. You gave this to me in the first place." 

Paul shifted his body to face her and reached for her hands. His fingers slowly slid through hers as he held them gently. She noticed one hand felt colder than the other. It must have been the one holding the ice cream. Bastard! He enjoyed teasing her. He had a devilish smirk on his face. Of course, it was extremely cute all the same not that she would tell him that. He had denied her ice cream. He didn't deserve nice. 

"You know if you remember correctly I did warn you to stay away from me at the time. I told you could get sick but you refused to listen." His smirk slowly spread wider across his face. "In fact, you proceeded to maul me instead." 

Stephanie felt the heat instantly rise to her cheeks. "I did not." she denied. 

"You did too. But don't worry, I wasn't complaining." Paul lifted her right hand to his lips and kissed it. His beard lightly scratched her skin. "Oh and by the way, before I forget to tell you, your sore throat makes your voice sound sexy as hell on the phone." 

Stephanie tried to disguise her smile. After all, she was meant to be annoyed with him and he wasn't getting away with it. Not so easily anyway. "Stop trying to win me over." 

"I'm not. I love it. In fact, I might even call you tonight when I get home just to hear you croak at me." 

"You will not." she laughed. 

Paul pressed his lips together and nodded his head as he pretended to be serious. "I'm afraid I probably will." 

Stephanie's nose wrinkled with amusement as she decided to play along. "If that's the case, when can I expect your call? I'll wait up for you." 

"The minute I step outside this door and more than likely start thinking about you." he said softly, his thumb making small circles against her knuckles. "I always think about you, you know. I can't seem to stop myself." 

Stephanie felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw the serious expression on his face. His brown eyes were sincere and gentle as he tugged at her hands, pulling her to him. Her heart flipped madly in her chest as she stared at him in disbelief, that Paul was really saying these words to her and that more importantly it appeared that he meant them. It was more than she had hoped for especially when she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because really, in her life she never got this lucky. She never got the guy, at least not the good one and Paul was definitely one of the good ones. He was one in a million, someone who could really be everything to her if she didn't screw it up that was. God knows there was every chance that could happen not to mention the conspiracy to keep them apart although there was no evidence of that tonight. There was no Nick. No interruptions. It was just like Paul had promised her in his office. Okay, not quite as Paul had promised but a girl couldn't be picky and besides, there was plenty of time for all of that. Hopefully not too long though because quite honestly, she wasn't sure she could wait much longer especially after her strawberry incident earlier. A week or so might do, two at the very most.

But as Paul's lips descended on hers in a sweet tender kiss, she knew she it really didn't matter. After all, she was pretty positive she was in love. She'd wait for him forever if she had to – preferably much sooner of course. Her hormones weren't the most patient things in the world even when she was sick. 

"I should probably go now and let you get some rest." 

Stephanie licked her wet lips and tried not to protest as Paul stood up from the sofa. She wanted him to stay a little longer. She had enjoyed his company, brief as it had been. Still, she understood. He probably didn't want to get sick again. He maybe even had other plans tonight. At least he'd taken the time to come and see her though. Their joined hands slowly separated, their fingertips briefly lingering as she followed him to the door. 

"Aren't you going to take your ice cream with you?" she smirked as they stood in the hallway. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth as her shoulders shook with her light coughing. 

"Nah, you can keep it." smiled Paul. He reached up pushing a loose strand of hair from her face before lightly tracing her cheek with his thumb. "But don't eat it all at once. I don't want you getting brain freeze on me." 

She giggled. "I'll try my best although I have to warn you, I lose all willpower when it comes to ice cream." 

"I thought that was chocolate." 

"Yeah, that too." 

Paul's deep laughter filled the small hallway as he opened the wooden door just a crack and turned to her pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. "You take care of yourself, okay?" 

Stephanie nodded her head. "I will." 

"Maybe I'll come by and check on you tomorrow if you're feeling up to it?" 

"I'd like that." 

"In that case, I'll see you then." 

Paul opened the door wider and smiling at her, he affectionately rubbed her nose with his finger. "You stay inside. I don't want you getting a chill. Goodnight." 

"Night." she called out just as the door closed behind him.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around herself as she slowly walked to the living room missing him already. She really needed help. The paper bag was still positioned on the arm of the sofa where Paul had left it and she picked it up quickly examining the contents. As well as the pint tub of ice cream, there was a small bunch of red roses, half a dozen. Her smile widened as her fingers carefully reached in for the flowers. She'd had a bad experience with roses once. She'd been walking home one night although if she was honest, it was probably staggering considering how drunk she had been at the time. Somehow she'd fallen over the small wall surrounding a neighbour's garden stabbing her body with the thorns when she had fallen into the large rose bush. The pain had been like someone poking sharp needles in her body. She had woken up the next morning in total agony and spent three hours in the emergency room waiting for someone to remove a particularly painful one that had lodged itself firmly in the left cheek of her ass. It wasn't her finest moment. In fact, she'd never felt so embarrassed in her life and until this day only Libby knew of her humiliation. Still, the roses Paul had brought her beautiful. It made her almost forget her hatred of them. 

Stephanie lifted the blooms to her nose and inhaled, slightly unsuccessfully. She could barely smell the scent as the soft petals tickled her nose. She jumped slightly startled as the phone began to ring out, the sharp shrill cutting through the silent living room. She frowned as she went to pick it up, the stems of the roses dangling between her fingers. She sat down on the sofa pulling the comforter over her legs. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey there you." 

Paul. Stephanie grinned at the sound of his deep, sexy voice. Her blue eyes settled on the roses that she twirled around in her hand as she shifted her feet under the red blanket. 

"So I told you I'd call." 

"You did." she replied delighted that he had. Honestly, she hadn't been expecting him too and definitely not so soon. "But surely you can't be at home yet." 

"Nope. I just it made to the end of your road actually." 

She smiled softly bringing the flowers to her nose once again. 

"So how long did it take before you pounced on that ice cream?" 

"I had the decency to wait at least three seconds after you left." 

Her head leaned back against the cushions as she heard his deep chuckle down the line. She placed the roses down beside her and her fingertips lightly traced the silk red bow tied around the stems. 

"Thank you by the way and the flowers were beautiful. You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble." 

"It didn't. I whipped them from outside the gas station." 

Stephanie laughed knowing he had nothing of the sort but winced as the laughter turned into a cough. Her throat burned as she placed her hand across her mouth. 

"Are you okay?" asked Paul when she eventually got it under control. 

"Yeah. Sorry about that." 

"Hey don't apologise. Just get yourself some rest, okay?" 

"I will." 

"You promise?" 

"I promise." she smiled. 

"In that case I'd better let you go. Goodnight Steph." 

"Night Paul." 

She hung up and rested the receiver against her chin. Her lips curved upwards as she realised tonight hadn't sucked so much after all. Paul's visit had really cheered her up. He had been so sweet and concerned about her. He'd even told her he thought about her. In fact, he said he couldn't stop. God, neither could she. She didn't want to stop thinking about him. Not ever. In fact, she planned to make a habit of it and if her mind wanted to imagine him naked in the process, then so much the better. She wasn't going to argue with that.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Hey there gorgeous!"

Stephanie felt the corners of her mouth begin to creep upwards and she hastily bit down on her bottom lip to conceal her smile. Mandy was hovering by the edge of her cubicle like some annoying fat, bulbous insect. The last thing she needed was for her predatory eyes to witness her grinning like an idiot at the sexy hushed voice on the other end of the phone especially when the single ring had revealed the call was internal and office related. Mandy probably even knew it was Paul and that was why she was hanging around like some bad smell that was even more putrid than Violet's perfume. That bitch made it her business to know everything and she swore she had some inbuilt gossip radar.

"Meet me by the elevators in a couple of minutes?" asked Paul.

"Sure." she replied trying her best to appear totally disinterested to anyone who was watching her by lifting her hand and inspecting her fingernails as she leant back in her black leather swivel chair.

"I'll be looking forward to it." he told her before hanging up.

Stephanie replaced the phone feeling nervous bubbles of excitement in the pit of her stomach at the thought of seeing Paul. She hadn't seen him all day, well not since this morning anyway. She briefly glanced at her watch. Five hours and twenty six minutes ago if you wanted to be precise not that she was counting, not really. She just had a good memory for times and dates that was all and add that to the fact that she had a legitimate reason for counting down the time until she did see him. She was accompanying him to a meeting this afternoon and she had to admit she was pretty excited about it. She'd never taken part in a contract negotiation before and the fact Paul trusted her to be there with him meant she was determined not to let him down.

Stephanie pushed back her chair and got to her feet quickly checking around her desk. The items she had planned to take were sitting neatly in her bag where she had left them at lunchtime. She was so pleased with them and knew they would give off the right impression. She was a business woman after all and she needed to look the part. She'd even dressed for the occasion too with a two piece black trouser suit and a white blouse underneath which revealed just the tiniest bit of cleavage. After all, she didn't want to give off the impression she was one of those ball breaker feminist types who wasn't afraid to use her sexuality to seal the deal. The pinned up twist in her hair finished it off oh, and her black Armani glasses.

Stephanie lifted them from the side of the computer where she had left them and put them on. She gathered her things and waved to Violet who was talking on the phone no doubt to her boyfriend yet again. He seemed to call on the hour every hour. She had been tempted to ask Violet if he actually worked for a living but she hadn't wanted to offend her. Not when she was sure she still hadn't forgiven her for the time she had overhead her telling Claire that she hated crochet including the scarf Violet had knitted her for her birthday.

Stephanie's hand stifled her cough as she walked out into the practically deserted corridor. Thankfully her flu had eased off over the last few days and she was feeling so much better. By Tuesday she had been feeling human enough to venture back to work much to her own relief. She had been going stir crazy cooped up at home although Paul's visits and calls more than made up for the boredom. He really was so sweet and considerate. Maybe she could show her appreciation and take him out tonight to thank him. After all, it had been almost two weeks since their last date and she was still anxiously awaiting a third.

Stephanie stopped by the elevators, her blue eyes searching for Paul. She placed her leather bag over her shoulder. There was no sign of him at the opposite end of the corridor. He had said he'd be just a couple of minutes too. If he didn't hurry up there was every chance they would be late and they didn't want that to happen. Not when they were trying to make a good impression on the company whose products they would be promoting. Well, hopefully. Shifting her feet on the marble and feeling anxious, Stephanie glanced towards the opposite end of the corridor. There was a guy heading her way but it wasn't Paul. It was Aidan or Adrian or whatever the hell his name was. Not that it mattered to her anyway. The guy was an asshole and worked in accounts. She snorted to herself as she thought that it must be a prerequisite to the job. Ben worked in accounts and he was an asshole too. Maybe Aidan or Adrian was also a lying cheating bastard into the bargain. Stephanie jumped slightly startled as the elevator door pinged open behind her.

"Going my way?"

All thoughts of Ben left her head as she grinned at the familiar deep tone and turned to face Paul who was leaning against the elevator wall looking every bit as handsome as he had been first thing this morning in his matching black shirt and suit. His pale purple tie was a little crooked though but that was always the case with Paul. He was constantly fiddling with it. By the end of the day it was usually loosened too and his top button would be undone. His thick neck obviously felt restricted and she definitely wasn't complaining. It let her stare at that cute little freckle on his skin that seemed to always want to grab her attention somehow. Her black shiny boots clicked against the elevator floor as she stepped inside.

"We should be taking the stairs. It's only a couple of flights up, you know." she smiled.

Paul raised his eyebrow fractionally as the doors closed over before letting his eyes drift to her pencil thin heels. "I don't think that's a very good idea in those things, do you?"

"Oh for heaven's sake." she muttered looking away and pretending to be offended while really she was trying her hardest not to smile at him. Paul had a thing about her footwear and always remarked how lethal they were. He'd even threatened to report them to Health and Safety just yesterday when she'd tripped over the edge of the rug in the centre of his office. He really was a nut - a great big, lovely, handsome nut.

The elevator doors slowly slid together and Stephanie discreetly glanced out of the corner of her eye. Paul was watching her with that sexy smirk on his face, the one that made her want to jump his bones and that was putting it mildly especially after the strawberry incident at the weekend. God, she couldn't even look at the fruit the same way either. When Claire had brought her them to her place on Sunday, she swore she had almost died and her face had exploded with heat. Thankfully her friend thought it was her temperature and she was saved the total embarrassment of having to explain herself.

"I hope to God this thing doesn't take too long. I've had enough meetings this week to last me a lifetime." sighed Paul.

Stephanie smiled as she walked towards him and almost forgot to breathe as his big hand lifted to push strands of hair behind his ear. As her fingers reached for the knot of his tie, she inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne and felt her knees go weak. It was new, one he hadn't worn before.

"You know, you're looking particularly sophisticated and sexy today." he said.

Stephanie lifted her eyes and his deep brown ones met hers, making her melt inside.

"I think it's the whole hair and glasses thing. It actually reminds me of a teacher I once had at high school. Miss Robbins was her name." Paul's fingertips reached out and slowly traced her jaw line causing a hot flash in her chest and her blue eyes stared at him mesmerised as her tongue flicked out to taste her lip gloss. Her fingertips ran down his tie smoothing it out against his chest.

"She was the object of many a fantasy in that English class let me tell you."

He winked and his smiling lips pressed softly against hers causing her heart to thump wildly in her chest. Just then her body bumped against his as the elevator came to a sudden halt and she quickly moved away with the blood beating in her ears as the doors slid open.

"Hey Paul. Steph."

Stephanie mumbled a hello and quickly bent her head as she walked out of the elevator, groaning inwardly as she pretended to pick at a loose thread on her jacket. The last thing she wanted was to make eye contact with Nick especially when she knew damn well her cheeks were still flushed with heat. Fuck, it would have to be him standing on the other side too. She was tempted to tell him he looked like an overgrown walking tomato with his big baggy red shirt that hung loose over the waistband of his black trousers and his matching red sneakers. She wondered if the red rimmed glasses were still sitting perched right at the end of his nose. He'd been walking around with them like that all day. He obviously thought it made him look more important or something. Instead he resembled some retarded eighties throwback.

"I just saw Lily escort the Oakfields into the meeting room." said Nick.

Paul scowled as he glanced at his watch. "Shit, they're early. We'd better go."

Stephanie felt his hand rest on the small of her back as he guided her along the corridor.

"Good luck." Nick called out behind them.

Their feet stepped in time on the plush pale green carpet. Stephanie felt the urge to smile. See, they were destined to be together. Even their footsteps were in perfect harmony with one another.

"You ready for this?" smiled Paul.

Stephanie nodded her head as he pushed open the heavy oak door and stepped aside to let her pass. Two gentlemen were sitting at the large rectangular table, both on them seated at the right hand side. One of them was portly and elderly and probably in his sixties. The other was thin and looked to be forty or thereabouts and his dark hair was receding on top. They rose to their feet as they entered the room and kind smiles adorned their faces. Stephanie found herself smiling back at them as she became aware that it was suddenly raining. The rhythmic pitter patter against the large window filled the large modern room. There was something in the old man's face particularly that seemed to put her at ease. As Paul introduced everyone, she realised they were father and son. She honestly couldn't see the resemblance herself. Maybe the younger one was more like his mother. As she took her seat placing her bag in front of her, she wondered what parent Paul looked like. Maybe he was a mixture of them both. If she ever got the chance to meet them she would be certain to thank them. They deserved a medal for raising such a gorgeous and wonderful guy.

Stephanie took out her pad of paper and silver pen and saw the flicker of amusement that crossed Paul's face as she removed the health drink from her bag. She blatantly ignored his stifled snort and curious stare as she placed it strategically on the table beside her note pad and pen. Really he should be congratulating her on her initiative instead of mocking her. After all, she had brought it along for his benefit. The drink was orange, lemon and lime and just bursting with the goodness of life or so the slogan on the label said. It was the best one on the market too and it had cost her three bucks. She was entitled to have it on full show especially at that price and if it impressed the owners of Oakfield & Son, so much the better. After all, they probably wanted a health conscious employee to be promoting their products and she was pretty healthy by all accounts. Even the chocolate bar hidden in her drawer was health related. After all it was for moments of extreme stress and it totally counted.

As Stephanie reached into her bag once more, she found herself smiling as she felt her fingers wrap around the ultimate accessory for any serious business woman of this day and age. She'd managed to persuade Libby to let her borrow it especially for today and it totally made her look the part. Trying her hardest to keep her smile under control, Stephanie placed the Blackberry down right beside her drink. God, it really was a pretty little machine. She discreetly checked it and made sure it was switched on. She'd told Libby to send her an e-mail at exactly four fifteen so that she seemed busy and very important. Satisfied that she had everything she needed, Stephanie placed her bag down at her feet. As she shifted in her chair, she saw old Bob Oakfield glance in her direction from across the table and he nodded at the Blackberry.

"They're great things, aren't they? My daughter has one of them. She swears she can't live without it." As he picked up his glass of water, he smiled softly making his grey eyes twinkle. "In fact, you remind me of her a little bit."

Stephanie smiled and silently congratulated herself. She'd made a connection with the client. It was one of the important rules in successful business negotiations, well at least according to the article she'd quickly scanned before this meeting. It had been the first rule on a long and lengthy list but unfortunately she'd to forfeit reading the rest of them. She had meant to though, she really had but Paul had called her and she had run out of time. Well, that and she'd sneaked another peek at that website that listed wedding superstitions and customs and it was just as well she had. She really needed to talk to Claire about the bridesmaid's dresses and the sooner the better as far as she was concerned. She just hoped her friend liked green because the truth of the matter was she didn't really have any other option. There was no way she could wear any other colour, not according to the website. It had told her that should a bridesmaid be older than the bride she must remember to wear something green, otherwise, she will never succeed in finding a husband. Well, screw that. She wasn't going to grow old and lonely for anybody and surely Claire wouldn't begrudge her any future happiness. She had to agree to the colour. She just had to. It wasn't her fault she was born a month before her.

"What about you, Stephanie?"

Her blue eyes went wide as she looked at old Bob Oakfield. What about her? What was the hell was he talking about? Shit, she hadn't been listening. She'd been too busy worrying about her dress. She glanced to her left to see Paul flicking his pen between his thick fingers as he rested back in his chair watching her. She silently tried to communicate with him to help her out a little bit here. After all, they were dating. Their feet weren't the only thing that should be in harmony. Their minds should be too and he should sense her distress right now otherwise how could they do all that cute couple stuff like finishing one another's sentences or ordering for another when they went out to dinner? Or maybe he did know and he was just pissed at her for not paying attention. After all, this was a business situation and he'd given her a huge opportunity today as his acting personal assistant. God, and now she'd gone and completely blown it by letting her mind drift to stupid dresses and weddings. She really needed to learn how to bloody focus.

Just as she was about to confess to her idiocy and ask Bob to repeat his question, Paul voice interrupted the silence.

"Steph's just being shy." he smiled. "She probably doesn't want to admit that on top of being a successful and dedicated career woman, she can still find the time to fit in a disciplined exercise regime."

Stephanie forced herself to smile wondering what the hell Paul was talking about. He knew fine well she was allergic to anything that required any form of physical exertion, well with the exception of one thing in particular providing she ever got the damn chance to do it again. At the rate things were going, she could practically be considered a born again virgin.

"And what kind of exercise is included in your regime, Stephanie?" asked Bob.

"Em…" She deliberately avoided looking at Paul as she smiled and cleared her throat. "I actually love the gym. In fact, I go at least every second day. If I don't, I start to feel edgy, you know." She lifted her health drink and unscrewed the cap slowly from the bottle silently praying for forgiveness for her lies while also deciding to embellish just that little bit more. After all it would be rude not to especially when the Oakfields were giving her their undivided attention.

"I'm also looking into taking up yoga too. You see, I truly believe it is important to harmonise your body and mind." She paused for a second and breathed in and out slowly in order to give her statement the proper effect. "To be successful in life, I feel you really need that balance." she finished.

She could see the total admiration in Bob Oakfield's eyes as he smiled at her from across the table. His son looked obviously impressed too and that had to be a good thing surely. After all, these people promoted healthy living and were probably extremely encouraged that their best interests would be at heart by advertising with people that were an example of that.

"You know you could be just the person we're looking for to advertise our company!"

Stephanie tried not to grin too widely at old Bob. She was supposed to be spiritually balanced and didn't want to resemble a mad lunatic but secretly she was doing a dance on the inside. It looked like they'd more or less sealed the deal. Surely it was just a case of making it formal and signing on the dotted line. As she took a sip of her drink she discreetly tried to sneak a glance at Paul to see what his reaction was to the whole thing. She saw he was still doing that whole cute flipping of the pen thing with those beautiful hands of his. His lips were upturned in the faintest of smiles as he gave Bob his full attention. Damn it, she wanted him to look at her.

"We want a woman who will convey what Oakfield and Son represents, a woman who is the true epitome of healthy living." continued Bob. "But not only that, she's beautiful and successful and has found that balance in her life, the balance you spoke of just a moment ago. Harmony! Wasn't that was the word you used?"

Stephanie nodded as Bob leaned forward towards Paul. His face looked animated, excited even.

"I've got a proposal for you, son."

Paul smiled at him placing down his pen on the table. "What kind of proposal?"

"Well, see I'm prepared to sign on the dotted line and agree to let you handle Oakfield & Son's needs but I want a clause added into our contract. I want Stephanie here to be the force behind our promotional campaign. Hell, we could even feature her in our actual advertisements. Get her pretty face on billboards and newspaper stands all across the city."

Stephanie's mouth parted in a silent gasp as her stomach churned in excitement. They really wanted her to advertise their company? Her? Oh my God this was unbelievable! Nothing like this had ever happened to her before and bloody hell, she'd get to wear beautiful clothes and shoes, probably designer label like Gucci and Prada. She would get the chance to meet some other models, maybe even a couple of famous ones too. After all, all these people ran into one another all the time. Maybe they'd even let her mingle with them on photo shoots or even speak to her and invite her out for lunch or something. She'd casually drop their names into conversations and totally impress everyone that she was friends with all these people. And just wait until she told Libby and Claire. They were absolutely going to die when they found out!

"What do you think, Steph? Are you happy with Mr Oakfield's suggestions?"

Paul's voice snapped her out of her haze and Stephanie glanced towards him with a huge big smile on her face. "I'd love to do it!" she said firmly.

Paul's brow raised in surprise. "You're sure about this?"

Stephanie nodded her head wondering why on earth Paul looked so shocked, not that he wasn't cute like that with his nose all scrunched and confused. Paul could wear any facial expression and he would look cute but really, what was there to think about here? To say no to this would be turning down an opportunity of a lifetime not to mention the fact she could get her face on Cosmopolitan. God, maybe she would even be on the cover. Stephanie resisted the urge to scream with excitement as suddenly her Blackberry sprung to life with a catchy little chime. The front display lit up a pretty pale blue grabbing everyone's attention. Shit, they were all looking at her actually. They were probably all waiting for her to do something with it. Damn it, but she had forgotten what button Libby had told her to press. Giving them a brief, cool smile, Stephanie casually pressed the top button on the left. She tried not to panic as nothing happened and the machine chimed again.

"Is there a problem?" asked old Bob.

Stephanie quickly shook her head trying her best to look totally calm while the blood beat madly in her ears. Shit, this was totally embarrassing. Why the hell did she need to bring this damn thing and how on earth did she switch it off? Damn it, and now it was making that noise again. Stupid machine! Her fingers began pushing every single button in the hope that something would happen.

"You know mine does this to me all the time."

Paul smiled at her gently leaning across to remove the machine from her hand. Their fingertips brushed together but she couldn't enjoy the tingles. How could she when she was sat here looking like a complete moron? She could bet old Bob wasn't so impressed now.

"The buttons either stick or the damn thing freezes up." he explained.

Stephanie watched with baited breath as Paul did something to the machine. In a matter of seconds, the chiming noise had stopped and the display was dim. She stared at him in total wonderment resisting the urge to pull him into her arms and kiss him hard. Paul had saved her! If she wasn't feeling so embarrassed, she would probably find this whole situation a little bit romantic in a weird sort of girly way.

"There you go." he smiled handing the machine back to her. Her heart flipped in her chest as he winked discreetly at her. God, Paul really was amazing. She really hoped he was free tonight because she was suddenly desperate just to be with him, to spend some time alone with him.

"I should probably warn my daughter about that, you know."

Stephanie smiled at old Bob and somehow managed to remain focused throughout the rest of the meeting. It wasn't until they had shaken hands and the door had closed behind the Oakfields that she allowed the excited shriek to escape from her lips. She impulsively wrapped her arms around Paul, squeezing him tightly.

"We did it, Paul. We really did it.!"

She felt his shoulders shake with his contained laughter as he hugged her back.

"Yes, we did."

Stephanie lifted her head from his shoulder as her animated blue eyes stared back at him. "It's an amazing feeling, isn't it? It's like some huge sugar rush or something."

His deep laughter filled the room and she tried not to feel disappointed as he released her and walked back to the table. After all, they were at work. They had to act completely professional. And besides, anyone could walk in and see them and the last thing she needed was to be the centre of any more rumours. She had only just survived the whole scribbling down Paul's name with love heart thing although it had helped that Tessa in personnel had returned to work with botched up breast implants just last week. Her uneven mammoth chest had certainly drawn the attention away from her thank the Lord!

Stephanie began to gather her things together and trying to act as casual as possible, she bowed her head as she placed her notepad and pen in her bag. "You know, we should probably go out and celebrate tonight." she suggested.

She bit down on her lip shyly as she tilted her head to her left. She felt her heart beat in apprehension as she met his deep brown eyes. They were twinkling at her and his lips curved upwards ever so gently.

"You're right, we should. After all, it is your first big successful contract deal."

Stephanie shook her head to correct him. "_Our_ first successful contract deal."

"Oh I don't know. Old Bob seemed to take a shine to you. I'm not so sure we could have sealed the deal without you here."

Stephanie tried to withhold her proud smile as she lifted her plastic bottle from the table.

"Of course, being the health conscious business woman that you are, he was bound to be impressed." he added.

She narrowed her eyes in Paul's direction as she saw the faint glimmer of amusement in his face.

"What?" he asked her innocently as his thick fingers began loosening his tie.

"I suppose you're going to bring up that whole Blackberry incident." she grimaced.

"Nope." he replied as he raked his fingers through his hair. Stephanie sighed softly as she watched the soft strands fall back into place.

"Well, you should. I made a fool out of myself with that damn machine especially when I asked Libby to send me that e-mail. I thought it would help, see? I just wanted to make a good impression on these people." She looked away tossing the bottle in her bag, shaking her head slightly. "Now you must think I'm a total idiot and I don't blame you one little bit."

She felt Paul's hand on her shoulder as he turned her round to face him. His remarkable brown eyes were soft and gentle as he playfully tweaked her nose.

"You're not an idiot, Stephanie. I didn't fall for an idiot."

Stephanie stared at him for a moment unable to breathe as his thumb gently traced her jaw line. "You-you're falling for me?" she managed to stammer out.

Paul nodded and smiled at her warmly. "You shouldn't sound so surprised. How could I not fall for someone who gripped me from the very first moment I saw them?"

His lips brushed against her forehead as her heart pounded in her chest. Paul was falling for her! Falling! For her! God this was all too good to be true! Wait! In actual fact, it was. First the contract deal, then the modelling thing and now Paul admitting he was falling for her? There was something seriously not right here. Things like this never happened to her! The planets had to be seriously out of whack or something. Stephanie turned her head towards the glass pane and peered up towards the heavy grey clouds in the sky.

"What are you looking for?"

"I don't know. A bolt of lightning or something." she shrugged and glanced away from the window.

Paul chuckled as he tucked her under the chin before beginning to gather up some papers in his hands. "I thought you were looking for your name in lights now you were the face of health conscious women all across the state."

"Ha ha." she said playfully smacking across the arm. "You're just jealous that it's not you getting to wear the designer clothes and shoes." She let out an excited gasp as she clasped her hands together and grinned at Paul. "God, maybe they'll let me keep them? Do you think they will? They would have to, wouldn't they? I mean, those famous models wouldn't want to wear second hand Gucci or Prada!"

As she stopped to catch her breath, she saw Paul looking at her strangely. His nose was wrinkled in that cute, confused way again.

"Steph, are you sure you completely understood what Bob was looking for?"

She swallowed thickly and blinked as she wondered what on earth Paul was going on about. Of course she understood. She was going to be on billboards and on the covers of magazines.

"You do know what their whole campaign entails, don't you?"

She continued to stare at him blankly as she felt little knots of anxiety form in the pit of her stomach. Paul sighed as sat down on the edge of the wooden table and passed her a glossy brochure he held in his hand.

"What's this?" she squeaked out nervously as she saw the large impressive building on the front cover.

"It's Oakfield & Son's new venture. They're opening up a chain of health clubs in the next few months."

An uneasy feeling began to wash over Stephanie as she slowly lifted her eyes to stare at Paul. "Health clubs?"

Paul nodded slowly as he absently scratched at his stubbled chin. "They want us to set up a successful advertising campaign so they can get their name out there and compete with the more well known companies around. Their target consumers will be mostly men and women, aged twenty five to forty."

Stephanie licked her lips. Her mouth felt horribly dry. "And how do I fit in with all of this?" she asked tentatively almost terrified to ask.

"See the guy on page two?"

Stephanie flipped over the page and saw a well built guy on some sort of machine. His muscles were probably rippling underneath the skimpy white top and shorts. Still, his face was a little contorted and even in that condition, he still had to be in some sort of pain.

"Well, consider yourself the female version of that scenario."

"What?" she gasped as she stared in disbelief at Paul. The brochure dropped and dangled from her fingertips. "I can't. I mean, I don't know what that machine is for never mind the fact I've never been inside a damn gym in my life. I can't do this, Paul. I just can't."

"Hey, come on. There's no need to panic." he hushed gently gripping hold of the fingertips on her left hand. "If you don't want to do this, I'll just call Bob and tell him you've changed your mind."

"You can't do that." she said shaking her head.

"And who says? You know technically, I am the boss around here. I can do pretty much whatever I like." he smiled.

Stephanie felt his thumb graze her knuckles and sighed softly feeling a little embarrassed that perhaps she was over reacting especially when Paul was being so sweet and understanding. And he really shouldn't be, not when this whole thing was entirely her fault. She was the one who had got carried away after all. If she had just been listening instead of day dreaming about designer clothes and models, then none of this would have happened. This was her mess. The least she could do was try and make amends by sticking with the agreement. She owed it to Paul. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad." she offered.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded her head

"Well, if you're worried about not being familiar with a gym, I could always help you out with that."

Her brow furrowed as she looked curiously at Paul. "What do you mean?"

"I'll take you to the gym myself and show you the ropes." he shrugged standing up from the table letting her hand fall gently to her side.

Stephanie nodded in agreement and smiled feeling the knots in her stomach slowly start to dissipate as she began to see an upside to this whole scenario. As much as she loathed any form of exercise, this was a way of getting to spend more time with Paul. She could ask that he took her to the gym once, twice or even three times a week. She wanted to look dedicated after all and maybe Paul would be wearing a skimpy top and shorts like machine guy in the brochure. God have mercy on her if he did. She'd probably faint right on the spot when she saw him which of course could always lead the way to a little mouth to mouth. Oh the things a girl had to go through at times. Smiling gently, Stephanie picked up her bag and wondered if Prada did any cute sports numbers. Eh, probably not.

"So, when do you want to start?"

"Start what?" she asked drifting out of her haze.

"Our little celebration for winning the contract." smiled Paul.

"The sooner the better!" she beamed feeling a sudden burst of nervous energy at the thought of spending some time alone with him. It was the perfect end to an almost perfect day though just to be sure she'd make sure their celebration took place indoors because who knew when and where that lightning bolt would strike!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Stephanie found herself smiling as she breathed in the crisp evening air, sidestepping a pedestrian in her path as she crossed the traffic congested road. She adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder as her animated blue eyes admired the buildings around her all lit up with pretty twinkling lights and festive decorations. The street was busy and so full of life and colour. She loved the run up to Christmas every bit as much as when she had been a little girl and still felt that air of magic to it all. Everything always seemed more alive and exciting at this time of year. Even the stars were unusually bright in the black sky above like shiny, little pinholes in the blanket of night.

Stephanie's nose instantly wrinkled in silent surprise as a car horn honked in the distance. Wait a second. Little pinholes in the blanket of night? Where the hell had that come from? Her train of thought had obviously been possessed by some strange poetic power or something. That had definitely been weird.

Feeling Paul's fingers slide deliciously through hers once more as they turned the corner, Stephanie suddenly knew what that strange poetic power was. She glanced to her right and her smile stretched even further across her face. It was the power of love, the one that song was about. It had made her see the world in a wonderful rosy, romantic light like someone had switched on this giant light bulb inside her. She could feel herself practically glowing. Even Libby had commented that she looked different lately but she wasn't different. She was just happy. Unbelievably, about-to-burst happy and it was all because of Paul. She was head over heels in love with him.

Stephanie let him guide her along the street as she allowed her eyes to linger, drinking him in. In fact, she hadn't really stopped looking at Paul since this afternoon, well when she had the chance. She couldn't help herself. He'd been gone for almost six days on business and she had missed him terribly. In fact when she had seen him walking through the office a matter of hours ago, it had taken every single ounce of self restraint not to rush into his arms and kiss him hard. And God, did she want to kiss him especially after their little "celebration" a week ago. A tender goodbye in the hallway had led to a make out session on her sofa until the wee small hours of the morning. Of course, it could have been so much more if Lady Luck hadn't decided to fuck with her again. This time it was a curse of a different kind. Thankfully though things didn't quite reach the stage where she would have been forced to stop Paul and squirm with embarrassment as she tried to explain her reason why. Discussing her monthly cycle with him made her feel more than a little uneasy. In fact, it was safe to say she would have been absolutely mortified. She guessed she was just shy when it came to these kinds of things yet there was no evidence of any shyness when it came to kissing Paul or touching him. Her need for him overrode anything else. She'd never been so consumed by someone before. He was so gorgeous, sexy and funny. Passionate too but that was no surprise. The moment he had laughed on that train, she had known he would be. That sexy growl of his would be the death of her. Stephanie licked her lips feeling a slight tingle down her spine at the simple thought it.

"Is everything okay?"

"Hmmm?" she replied in a haze. It wasn't until she felt the tug on her hand that she realised Paul had stopped and she blinked a few times before turning on her heel to meet his inquisitive stare. His brown eyes were partially hidden by the rim of his baseball cap, his loose blonde strands tucked underneath.

"You looked like you were off in your own little world there."

Stephanie bit down on her lip to conceal her smile. She had been. It was called Paul world. Talk about a perfect place and there was nowhere she would rather be.

"You're not nervous about this, are you?"

Stephanie quickly shook her head. She was spending time with Paul and getting to see him in some skimpy clothes in the bargain. What was there to be nervous about? "Although I am questioning my sanity letting you drag me to a gym on a weekend." she replied.

"See, I thought I already told you…" he grinned as he gently pulled her to the side of the building letting a mother pass with her children in tow. His fingers clasped around hers a little more tightly. "Six o'clock on a Friday evening doesn't quite make into the weekend category."

Stephanie pressed her lips together and frowned. "That's where you're wrong. Everyone knows the weekend starts the second you walk out of the office."

"Not for me."

Her blue eyes sparkled as she shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well that's because you're a freak." she teased.

"You know, you are one cruel woman." said Paul.

Stephanie giggled as her hand lifted and curled around his stubbled chin, her thumb lightly tracing his slightly chilled skin. "Does the truth hurt?"

His brown eyes narrowed playfully in her direction, his lips twitching with his smile. "You know I'm starting to feel a distinct lack of appreciation here. After all, I am the one helping you out after you lied to poor old Bob and all."

Stephanie sniffed haughtily as her hand dropped to his shoulder. "I didn't lie. I embellished, that's all."

"So that's what you call it?"

"Yes. I mean, okay I maybe fabricated the stuff about the gym but the whole yoga thing was true."

"Yeah, I remember." nodded Paul. "It's all part of your ten year plan, right?"

Stephanie's brow raised in surprise. Paul had remembered their conversation in the elevator. Then again, she shouldn't have expected anything else. He had been a complete stranger yet he still remembered her drunken rambling. She just wasn't used to anyone listening to her, let alone paying attention to what she was saying which just proved he was even more perfect than she thought and why she was going to do everything in her power to keep him. Although seeming slightly opposed to marriage any time in the next ten years wasn't exactly the way to go. Maybe she should quickly clear that up in case there was any misunderstanding between them.

Clearing her throat, Stephanie tried to be as casual as possible. "It could be seven or eight though. You know, depending on how things go."

"Of course." he smiled.

"And I mean the list isn't that extensive so it might even be sooner than that." She paused for a second, glancing awkwardly over his shoulder unable to quite meet his curious stare. "Five, maybe six years."

"Yeah well you don't want to leave these things too long. Time has a funny way of catching up with you."

Stephanie let her eyes drift to him once more. She felt a rush of warmth as he flashed her that amazing smile of his.

"Come on. We'd better get inside or we'll miss our dinner reservation later."

"And what are the chances of skipping this altogether and heading straight to dinner?" she enquired.

Paul playfully tapped her on the nose. "Absolutely none."

Smiling, Stephanie fixed the strap of her bag once more as she followed him through the double glass entrance doors. She hadn't realised they were already standing outside the gym. It was closer than she had originally thought which was why she had protested when Paul had suggested they walked here from her apartment. Of course, those protests had fallen on deaf ears. Glancing around her surroundings, Stephanie took in the immaculate foyer and the clean fresh lemony smell. The smell followed her all the way to the ladies locker room that Paul had shown her to and had left her in to get changed while he went and sorted out her pass. A few minutes later she was watching outside the doors of the gym waiting for Paul to arrive. Her white fluffy towel and water bottle were clutched in her hand. That was when the panic set in and she quickly realised she was in hell.

It was really the only word to describe it. Even just standing here watching the various people work out, she could feel the horrible pain that was visible on their red, sweat covered faces. And these were people that exercised regularly. Fit healthy people with toned muscled bodies. Not someone like herself who up until now had been allergic to exercise and almost killed herself running to the tube station every morning, someone who, as a result, had her fair share of wobbly bits yet somehow she'd managed to conceal them in her charcoal grey jogging pants and a hot pink vest top that matched the thick stripe down the side. A new purchase of course and she thought they had made her look the part especially with her new Nike shoes. Yet another essential purchase or at least that's what she'd told herself when she maxed out her credit card. She'd even found a cute ribbon to tie around her ponytail that was just the perfect shade of pink too. In fact, when she'd checked the final result in the mirror just minutes before Paul had arrived to pick her up, she'd actually felt a little excited about coming here. Of course that was due in large part to the fact she would be spending time with Paul but still. There hadn't been the apprehension and the dread she was experiencing right this very second. Her body was literally screaming at the thought of it all. There was no way she could do what that blonde haired girl was doing across the room and run on that machine thing. She'd never even stopped for a breath and there was also a hint of a smile on her face. The sick chick was enjoying this and clearly wacko like probably everyone else in this room.

Stephanie sighed softly as she shifted her feet underneath her, her brand new soles squeaking against the polished floor. Music filtered through from the speakers above and she saw wide screen televisions scattered around the large gym.

"Excuse me."

Stephanie looked up to see three middle aged women standing patiently waiting to get inside. Apologising, she stepped aside to let them through and they glanced obviously wondering what the hell she was doing here. God knows she was asking herself that same question. They were the same women who had been in the locker room when she had first walked in. They had been talking amongst themselves and she had caught odd words like "reps", "sets" and some sort of acid whatever the hell that had been. Not that she was overly keen to find out. It sounded particularly nasty to her. She just wished she had gone with Paul to sort out her pass then she wouldn't be standing here all alone like a total idiot and now a probable topic of conversation. She was sure she stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.

She glanced over in the direction of the locker rooms and silently willed Paul to hurry up and rescue her. She could hardly believe her luck when within a matter of mere seconds, her plea was answered and he appeared. It was the black baseball cap she noticed first but it was furthest thing from her mind as the door closed behind him and he walked towards her. Her blue eyes were wide and fixated as she swallowed thickly. Paul was now only wearing a tight grey tank top. Unfortunately he wore baggy black track pants instead of the skimpy shorts she was hoping for but that was probably just as well because in all honestly, she was struggling to breathe here. The shorts would have officially tipped her over the edge. In fact, she would have definitely fainted because her knees already felt dangerously weak at the sight of him. And okay, it was only a tank top but sweet Jesus, she'd never seen so much of his skin up until now. His biceps were huge and so much bigger than they had felt under that tight black t-shirt of his. Shit. And his chest was massive too. It was outlined perfectly by the cotton material. This man was definitely a God and his skin really did look as soft and smooth as it felt. Resisting the urge to reach out and touch it, Stephanie licked her lips as Paul smiled at her.

"I got your pass all sorted."

"Thanks." she squeaked. She quickly cleared her throat and forced herself to get a grip. She sounded like she'd inhaled a balloon full of helium. This man reduced her to a quivering wreck, not that it was anything new. One look in his direction and she practically melted inside. She really was beyond any sort of help. Not that she wanted any. She'd be happy to feel this way for the rest of her life.

"So what do you think? Have you checked anything out?" he asked.

Stephanie shook her head as she forced herself to look back at the blonde haired woman on the running machine. She was now gripping onto the bar in front of her. The smile had disappeared and had been replaced by a contorted look of agony. Stephanie grimaced as she felt her apprehension return. Was she really prepared to torture herself just to get her face on a billboard or in a stupid brochure? It seemed like a sore price to pay when she wouldn't even get to wear those designer clothes or get to lunch with any famous models. The only benefit was getting to spend more time with Paul but maybe she could persuade him to get her familiar with some other form of exercise, preferably the type that included him wearing no clothes at all. God, she wondered if he meant it when he told her she could change her mind because it suddenly felt terribly appealing.

"Steph?"

She pressed her lips together in a nervous smile as she shook her head. She anxiously glanced down at herself and self consciously pulled the hem of her top a little further down her torso as a young slim girl walked past them.

"You ready to go inside?"

Stephanie nodded her head but as Paul pushed open the double glass doors, she quickly grabbed hold of his thick forearm. "Wait!"

He let the door close over behind him as his brown eyes looked at her curiously. Her own blue pair darted back to the doors and she swallowed hard.

"There are a lot of people in there, huh?" she asked, biting down on her lip anxiously.

"Yeah but you don't have to worry about them." He smiled gently reaching over to rub her arm reassuringly. "They won't even notice you."

Stephanie threw him a look of disbelief.

"Honestly, Steph. Everyone is so focused on themselves that they don't even take in what's going on around them."

She glanced once more at the gym and slowly shook her head, her ponytail swinging from side to side. "I just don't think I can do this." Her blue eyes were wide as she turned to Paul. "Maybe I've got gymphobia."

"Gymphobia?"

Stephanie scowled at Paul's amused smirk and tried not to notice how good he smelled especially with his neck so exposed like that. She just wanted to bury herself into it and damn it, now she had spotted that little freckle too but now was not the time or place to be focusing on that or any other part of his amazing, chiselled anatomy. Not when she had a crisis on her hands here. "I'll have you know it's a legitimate condition. I read an article about it in a magazine not that long ago." she retorted.

"I'm sure you did." he chuckled.

"So why do I get the feeling you're not taking me seriously here?"

Paul placed his hand on her back and moved her aside into the corner to let a bald broad set man pass through. He looked to be in his late fifties and his face was bright red and covered in a visible sheen of perspiration. His heavy breathing alarmed Stephanie making her feel even more anxious. Her blue eyes were even wider as they followed him towards the direction of the locker rooms.

"Paul, he was in real pain!" she cried.

His big hand rubbed her back soothingly. "Relax, Steph. Not everyone is like Pops over there. And besides, I'm only going to be showing you around and letting you get a feel for things. You're not going to be working hard enough to build up a sweat or anything."

"And the pain?"

"Minimal."

"How about we settle for none at all?"

Paul chuckled and tucked her underneath her chin. "I'm afraid I can't promise that but what I can promise you is some TLC afterwards if you need it."

The right hand side of Stephanie's mouth curved upwards. "You know I think I probably will. Quite a lot of that it that."

"Not if you don't get that cute ass of yours in the gym."

Stephanie's gaze drifted to the double glass doors.

"It will be fine. I promise."

She nodded her head deciding to trust Paul and followed him cautiously into the gym. The rhythmic sound of the machines blended in with the music and she noticed the large television screens were all around the room mounted on the large cream walls. There were also various body length mirrors which she knew she would be making a conscious effort not to look at. She had a feeling her wobbly bits would come out in full force in a room filled with nothing but toned, defined bodies. Suddenly those stress related chocolate bars didn't seem so healthy after all. She quickly brought her water bottle to her lips and took a sip.

"We'll start over here and get you warmed up first." said Paul gesturing to some exercise bikes.

Stephanie climbed the handful of steps leading up to them, feeling her nerves dissipate slightly. She'd ridden a bike before so she had a head start already. Granted, it had been a few years but what was that old saying about never forgetting? She couldn't remember exactly but it didn't matter. She knew she was good at this. She used to go everywhere on her bicycle when she was a little girl. This should be a piece of cake. Maybe she would even impress Paul and cycle for something like half an hour without even breaking a sweat.

"Want to hop on?"

She nodded and flicked back her ponytail. She raised her brow impressed at the little holder at the side of the handlebar and placed her water bottle in it before straddling the bike. As she slid her feet inside the straps on the pedals, her attention turned to the control panel in front of her. Paul was pressing a couple of buttons and explaining something to her. She turned her head in his direction to find her face practically coming into contact with his neck. She swallowed thickly feeling her heart race. How the fuck was she meant to concentrate with his skin all smooth and exposed like that? And God, now he was brushing up against her and she could smell that cologne again. As usual it was deliberately trying to lure her in, making her want to inhale deeply. Unable to help herself, Stephanie's lids fluttered shut as her face moved in even closer.

"You got that?"

His voice snapped her out of her funk and her eyes sprung open as she moved her head away. She quickly nodded hoping she'd given him the right response because she honestly hadn't a clue what he was on about and it was totally all his fault.

"Then just start whenever you're ready."

Stephanie nodded and began to cycle. The bike began to make a whirring sound as the pedals turned. The panel in front of her indicated the time. Five seconds and only another nine minutes and fifty five to go…no…fifty four…fifty three. Hah, this was going to be a breeze. Stephanie's mouth curved up gently as she rested her shoulders back. Maybe she would go to the gym more often. Even join one. This wasn't as bad as it looked.

"You know I never did ask you how the wedding plans were coming along." asked Paul. He was leaning back against the vacant bike directly across from her, his arms crossed over his chest.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Well they're kind of on hold at the moment."

She checked the panel and saw she was down to nine minutes forty five. She silently congratulated herself and continued to pedal as she turned her head in his direction.

"The happy couple had an argument a couple of nights ago. According to Claire, Pete wants her to give up work when they get married and look after the home as he put it. He thinks Claire is there to give him an easy life. But she's not, you know. She has a career too like me. I mean I would never stay at home just so I could cook you dinner every night."

An amused smile crossed Paul's face and Stephanie cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Or anyone's dinner, you know?" she added hastily.

"Oh I agree."

"But Pete is from an old fashioned family with old fashioned values. I think his parents are like in their mid sixties or something."

Stephanie paused wincing slightly as she began to experience a burning sensation in her thighs and if she wasn't mistaken the pedalling was getting harder and she was having to push that little bit more. In fact, she was pretty sure she was starting to pant. She had to be down to six minutes or something and she hadn't even realised it. She quickly glanced at the panel and somehow managed to contain her cry of alarm. She was still on eight minutes. Eight minutes thirty five seconds to be exact. Shit. This was like some slow form of torture. How the hell was she meant to last eight more minutes when her thighs were literally screaming in agony here?

"How you doing there?"

Stephanie gritted her teeth and forced her best smile. She didn't speak as she concentrated on moving her legs as best as she could.

"There's a woman about to get off one of the treadmills down there. You okay here while I go and grab it?"

She quickly nodded and watched with relief as Paul disappeared down the steps. She waited until he was safely out of sight before she stopped cycling. Her body sagged with relief as the pedals slowed. Her throat felt thick and dry and her chest tight. She took a mouthful of water as she felt her thighs throb while she sat there catching her breath. How anyone willingly put themselves through this, she didn't know. They had to be absolute nut jobs.

"Excuse me miss. You finished here?"

She glanced over her shoulder to see a couple standing behind her. Who she assumed was the wife was placing her towel over the bike Paul had been leaning on. Stephanie smiled and nodded her head grabbing her things grateful for the excuse to get off the damn thing. The husband thanked her as she left. Her legs were a little shaky as she made her way towards the steps.

"You're done already?"

Stephanie jumped slightly startled by Paul's voice and quickly gestured up the steps. "The guy was waiting to get on. I told him he could have the bike." She paused and wiped at her forehead. "He, em, seemed pretty desperate."

Paul glared over in his direction in obvious disapproval. "He should have waited his damn turn."

"I didn't mind, really." she said glancing up at the man and silently apologising as she loosely gripped Paul's arm deciding to quickly get him out of there before he went and confronted him or something. Although she had to admit she did find his protective nature particularly sexy. "Come on. Why don't you show me that treadmill?"

Thankfully Paul nodded his head and she followed on behind him letting out a slow sigh of relief. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see those women from the locker room. They were looking over in their direction, or more accurately at Paul. In fact, it was safe to say their eyes were literally popping out of their head. Stephanie smirked to herself and reached out to deliberately hold his arm as they crossed the gym floor. She wasn't the jealous type or one for laying claim to her man but those bitches were practically undressing him in front of her. It was only right they be put in her place and realise that Paul was taken just in case they got any funny ideas.

"So, have you been on one of these before?" asked Paul as they stopped in front of the treadmill.

Stephanie raised her eyebrow at his question and his deep chuckle made her forget the fact her legs felt like jelly and that going on here probably wasn't a good idea. She wasn't sure she could survive it.

"Silly question, huh?"

She nodded her head and gestured to the balding guy sprinting along beside them like he was running down a hill. "But thanks to Mr Black Lycra over there, I can see what it's for."

Paul glanced over in his direction and smiled.

"I bet you can run faster and longer than him." she said almost proudly.

His nose scrunched cutely as he slowly shook his head. "Actually I hate these things. I seldom use one."

"So you don't run?"

"Only when I'm being chased." he grinned.

Stephanie let out a loud snort and quickly covered her mouth to stifle it as she stepped up onto the treadmill placing her towel over the side bars. The panel was flashing the word "time" and she saw Paul press the button before glancing up at her.

"How long do you want to go?"

Stephanie shrugged trying to mentally calculate her sprint to the tube station. It was at least two minutes but she would be jogging like Mr Black Lycra which meant she could probably increase that time tenfold. Although she wasn't going to get carried away, not when she could still feel her knees tremble from the bike. "Ten minutes?" she suggested.

Paul nodded and selected the time and program. "I chose the beginner. I didn't think you'd fancy Everest." he smiled.

"Not unless you were trying to kill me."

As the treadmill started moving, Stephanie began to walk. She flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and even began to hum along to the music that filtered from the television just in front of her. This felt pretty natural like walking round the mall or something. She could handle this. It was pretty easy.

Just then the treadmill tilted upwards and began to speed up. Stephanie's legs protested as she felt herself begin to lightly pant. She tried to focus on the music as she tried to ignore the wild thumping in her chest. She knew the whole point of exercise was to get the heart pumping but this was ridiculous. Thankfully Paul was talking to some trainer guy with a clipboard and he couldn't see her distress. He also couldn't see the panel where eight minutes flashed on the screen in front of her. Stephanie quickly checked he wasn't looking as her manicured finger reached for the panel and the time button. She jabbed at the arrow button pointing downwards to decrease her time but almost shrieked as she pressed down on the wrong one and her time increased to twelve minutes. Twelve bloody excruciating minutes!

The treadmill kept whirring round as Stephanie tried to motivate herself to keep going when all she wanted was to collapse into a heap and stop the agony. Her ankle was screaming in pain, her chest was hurting and her face was bright red. Mr Black Lycra guy was a bastard. He let her think this was easy. He'd lured her into a false sense of security. Narrowing her eyes angrily in his direction, Stephanie clutched on to the sides as she tried to keep up with the machine.

"Steph, are you alright?" asked Paul suddenly appearing at her side.

She decided being brave wasn't going to do her any favours at all and quickly shook her head. Paul jabbed at the machine and Stephanie wanted to grab him and hug him as the machine grinded to a halt. She gasped for breath as he handed her some water.

"Have a drink when you're ready." he said.

"Th-thanks." replied Stephanie as she staggered off the machine, the blood beating madly in her ears. She didn't even realise she was limping a little until she felt Paul's arm around her and she collapsed into him.

"What happened? Did you pull something?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Stephanie inhaled deeply trying to catch her breath. "It's my ankle. It's playing up."

"Then we're calling it a day. I don't want you aggravating it any further."

"Okay." she said before taking a mouthful of water. The cold liquid instantly soothed her hot throat.

"Come on. Let's get you out of here."

She nodded her head as she leaned into him and let him guide her towards the locker room. She felt her distress slowly begin to slip away as his warm, firm body rubbed against hers. God he felt like heaven and almost made her forget the hell she'd just put herself through but it would all be worth it to get the tender loving care Paul had promised her. His soft touch and warm lips would chase all her aches and pains away. Maybe she would even fabricate one or two in places that needed extra special attention. After all a girl needed all the help she could get and she knew Paul would be more than happy to oblige. In fact she was sure of it especially when she showed him exactly how much she had missed him.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Her heels thumped against the tarmac as she ran along the street, her fingers loosely bunching the material of her dress lifting it from her legs. Her perfect curls bounced around her shoulders and Stephanie's chest was tight and heaving with her laboured breathing as she rounded the corner panting and cursing at the damn cab driver who tonight of all nights had gotten a puncture two blocks from here. She had jumped out throwing his fare at him before making her own way to the office Christmas party that had started over an hour ago. It was just something else that had conspired against her tonight because she was running late way before the cab ever picked her up and it was all thanks to that fucking tub of hot wax. She was going to kill Libby when she got her hands on her. It had been her bright idea to forgo her trusty razor and use some stuff that smelled weird and was definitely a form of sick torture. She'd almost had the third degree burns on her legs to prove it not to mention a ruined microwave oven although right now that was the least of her worries.

As she approached the bright lights of the hotel, Stephanie slowed down to a walking pace trying her best to catch her breath. The two agonising sessions she'd endured at the gym had done her fitness levels no favours at all and her heart was pounding hard feeling like it could explode at any second. Her bare skin prickled with the chilly night breeze as her fingers pinched at her earlobes checking her silver drop earrings were still in place. She fixed the small diamond pendant around her neck as she clutched her purse in her hand and walked towards the fabulously lit up entrance with twinkling lights on the bare branches of the trees planted on either side of the steps. She inhaled deeply to try and stop the racing in her chest as she smoothed down her inky purple cocktail dress with the low back and glittering straps. It had been another extravagant purchase care of Mr Mastercard but she didn't care. The moment she had tried the dress on it had felt perfect and it had looked perfect. She actually felt pretty glamorous by all accounts, like some movie star or something and hopefully Paul would approve. A dreamy smile crossed her face as she thought about him inside waiting for her as she climbed the steps and walked into the hotel foyer.

"Hey there beautiful."

Stephanie almost jumped out of her skin and placed her hand on her chest startled by his deep voice. She whipped her head round to see Paul walking towards her and suddenly she was completely breathless again but this time for entirely different reasons. Paul looked so handsome and was absolutely stunning in his midnight black suit and matching shirt. His blonde hair looked so light and soft too as it fell around his shoulders.

"I was actually just about to step outside and call you to check where you were." he smiled as he gently took her hand and guided her away from the door where an elderly couple were trying to pass by her. Of course she had been totally oblivious with her attention obviously being elsewhere and it was little wonder. Paul was gorgeous and not only that but he had obviously been missing her. Stephanie felt a rush of warmth through her chest as she swallowed thickly and looked into those amazing brown pools of his.

"I know. I'm disgustingly late and I'm sorry." she smiled contritely.

"Do I even want to know?" he smirked.

"No not unless you can tell me how to get an exploded tub of hot wax off an oven?"

His eyebrow raised in her direction. "I can't say I do, no."

"In that case we'll leave it at the apology."

"I think I'm just glad to see you made it here alive." he chuckled, his nose wrinkling cutely.

"But only just." she grinned as she felt Paul trace deliciously tingly circles on the back of her hand.

"It sounds to me like the gorgeous lady could be in desperate need of a drink."

Her blue eyes sparkled with her happiness. "The lovely gentleman has totally read my mind."

"In that case, will she accompany me to the party?"

"I thought you'd never ask." she beamed as Paul kept hold of her hand leading her towards the beautiful carpeted staircase. She could hear the sound of music and laughter when they reached the bottom where Paul paused for a moment throwing a bemused glance at her silver high heeled sandals as he lightly shook his head.

"I think you'd better keep a tight hold of my hand."

Her deep laughter carried up the staircase as they made their way to the function room where the party was taking place and the music was getting louder. A waiter smiled at them as he passed them carrying an empty tray and Stephanie wondered if he thought they looked good together and if they gave off the impression that they were a proper couple. Not that she wanted that, of course. At least not tonight and not in that room where all their co-workers would be, where she had to pretend that Paul was nothing more than her boss when all she wanted to do was dance with him and be with him. God, it was going to be hard to keep her distance from him especially when all she could think about was this afternoon in his office when those incredible hands of his had …

"Wait!"

Stephanie's blue eyes were confused as Paul stopped her just in front of the function suite where she could see the coloured lights shining and reflecting off the various people dancing and milling around the large room. "Paul, what are you doing?" she asked as she turned her head in his direction. "Why are we standing here?"

He let go of her hand to point towards the sprig of mistletoe just above them. "It's Christmas and this is tradition. You don't mess around with tradition."

Stephanie glanced quickly back towards the room as her fingers curled tightly around her clutch bag. "But people will be watching and they'll see us."

"Let them. I don't care."

Her curved lips pressed against his as Paul kissed her so softly sending a tiny shiver down her spine. His brown eyes were warm and tender when he stepped away from her.

"In case I don't get the chance to tell you this later, you are without doubt the single most beautiful woman in that room tonight."

Stephanie felt a huge glow of pleasure surround her as Lily Sinclair passed by them watching them curiously in her glittering black dress, her normally pale lips painted a fire engine red.

"Paul. Stephanie." she nodded before disappearing into the ladies bathrooms.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she smoothed down her dress. "And don't you just know that when she gets back to her table, we're going to be the topic of conversation."

"So what else is new? Come on. Let's get you that drink."

Her body tingled as Paul placed his hand on her bare back guiding her towards the party. She deliberately stepped away from him as they made their way to the bar flicking her hair back casually. After all, she was the soul of discretion and not only that, she wasn't adding fuel to the fire, not after the kiss Lily had just witnessed. God, she could imagine Mandy the Mouth practically salivating when she found out about that one. It was bad enough that the bitch still thought she was hot for Paul. Her piggy eyes seemed to watch her like a hawk any time he was at her desk or they were sat all together in a meeting obviously trying to find that secret glance or lingering touch that would give her away. It was why she would have to be on her best behaviour tonight and resist all urges to be with Paul although that would be a feat in itself. When it came to him, she had all kinds of urges and none of them particularly innocent either.

"So what can I get you?" he smiled as they found a space in the corner of the bar.

Stephanie pressed her lips together thoughtfully as she rested her elbows on the wooden surface and glanced towards the array of optics. "I don't know. I can't choose." She shook her head slightly feeling her curls bounce around her shoulders and turned to Paul. "Why don't you surprise me?"

While he ordered the drinks, she looked around her to see Nick standing at the opposite of the bar deep in conversation with some blonde haired woman. As she moved her head, she recognised her as his wife, Eleanor. Stephanie quickly bit down on her lip trying to stifle a snort as she took in Nick's attire of a bright red shirt and a tie in the shape of a Christmas tree. The tie even appeared to be flashing intermittently with little white lights dotted around the material. God, he really was so lame.

"Here you go. One drink for the lady."

Stephanie quickly forgot all about Nick as she turned to Paul and smiled her thanks accepting the drink tucking her silver clutch bag under her arm. She moved the straw out of the way cautiously sniffing at the clear liquid. "What is it?"

"It's vodka."

"How original." she teased poking her tongue between her teeth.

"Just shut up and drink it, McMahon."

She grinned bringing the straw to her lips as she glanced around the room tapping her foot in time to the music. Her attention turned to the dance floor and her blue eyes went wide as she recognised Claire. Balancing on her tiptoes, she swayed her body from side to side trying to peer past the people in front of her checking for any sign of Pete, the as yet mysterious fiancé. She still hadn't had the chance to meet the man and was seriously starting to think he was a myth.

"Those are some interesting moves there."

Stephanie turned, her blue eyes narrowing in Paul's direction. His beautiful amused grin sent tiny flutters to her stomach.

"Shouldn't you be taking them to the dance floor?"

"Why Mr Levesque, is this your roundabout way of asking me to dance with you?" she smiled playfully batting her eyelids.

"Oh I'm afraid I don't do dancing" replied Paul taking a mouthful of his beer.

"And why not?"

His lips curved into a smile as he swallowed his drink. "Because truly manly men just don't dance, that's why."

A flicker of amusement crossed Stephanie's face. "And how on earth did you figure that one out?"

Before Paul could answer, Claire's booming voice interrupted them.

"Stephanie! There you are!"

She grinned as her friend came bounding towards her with a glass in one hand and a strand of red tinsel around her neck. Her other hand was tugging sharply at the bust of her black basque top pulling it up over her cleavage.

"Where the hell have you been?" Claire asked as she pushed a lock of hair from her eye.

"Don't ask. It's a long and messy story." sighed Stephanie.

Claire rolled her eyes in amusement. "Isn't it always?"

Paul snorted with laughter as he raked his fingers through his blonde hair and Stephanie bit down on her lip trying to conceal her own grin.

"I'm glad I'm so amusing to you."

"Hey come on now. You know that I love that little cursed life of yours." he chuckled.

"Watch out guys. We've got a busy body at ten o'clock." warned Claire.

Stephanie glanced to her left to see Mandy hovering around the bar. She wasn't even discreet as she looked over at them and smiled smugly before turning to Lucy and saying something to her. Stephanie resisted the urge to go over there and personally wipe her ugly grin from her face. Instead she took a large mouthful of her vodka and tried her best to ignore her by deliberately turning away from her. In fact, she resolved to ignore her all night. After all she was here to have a good time and Mandy sure as hell didn't fit into those plans. "I can just guess what they're talking about." she said rolling her eyes.

"You mean the kiss you guys shared under the mistletoe a few moments ago?"

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as they stared at Claire.

"Lily Sinclair dished the dirt on the dance floor." she explained. "It caused quite the stir with the Mouth."

Stephanie threw Paul a look of despair. "See? I told you it would."

"Relax." he told her placing his bottle of beer on the bar. "By the end of the night it will all be forgotten about."

"I wouldn't be so sure. That bitch has the memory of an elephant."

"As well as the physique to match." Claire added, grinning.

Stephanie grinned back just as Paul lifted his hand in a wave to somebody at the opposite end of the bar. As she glanced around, she saw it was Nick and his flashing Christmas tree. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "You should go before he's tempted to come over in this direction."

"I take it your not in the mood for conversation with him, then."

"Not if I want to enjoy myself tonight."

Paul's shoulders shook with his deep chuckle as he scratched at his cheek. "In that case, I'd better get over there." His brown eyes watched her intently for a second making her knees feel slightly weak. "I'll catch up with you later?"

"You can count on it."

She swallowed thickly as her blue eyes lingered on his massive frame until he disappeared among the crowd of people hovering on the other side of the room.

"You know that man is a total God!"

Claire's voice shook her out of her haze as Stephanie brought her glass to her lips taking a long sip.

"Fancy sharing him?" she hushed as she playfully nudged her friend.

"No. You've got a man of your own. Speaking of which…" said Stephanie as she gazed around her. "Where is this mysterious fiancé of yours?"

"Pete's not here tonight."

"What!" whined Stephanie, her face falling with disappointment. "I thought I was finally going to get the chance to meet him."

"And you will but he had to work a gig."

"Claire, are you sure he's not just a figment of your imagination? I mean does Pete really exist?"

Claire laughed and shook her head as she adjusted the tinsel around her neck. "Yes he exists. Now hurry up and buy me a drink. Now you're finally here, it's time to get this party started!"

A couple of hours later and Stephanie was feeling pleasantly buzzed as she emerged from the ladies bathrooms. Not drunk though, no. Definitely not, not when she could still walk in a straight line and press her finger to her nose. It had been part of her sobriety test as she had re applied her lipstick. The last thing she wanted was to pass out unconscious tonight especially when there was every chance Paul would escort her home which of course could always lead to other things. Things that perhaps would involve him getting totally naked. That's why she had taken so much care with her appearance tonight and risked her life and limbs with that tub of fucking wax. Every part of her had been de-fuzzed, scrubbed and moisturised to within an inch of its life.

"Hey baby."

Stephanie jumped and felt her body tense at the sound of his voice. Her nose wrinkled in a snarl as she turned to him, her skin prickling with annoyance at the sight of him.

"Ben, do me favour will you and just fuck off?"

Ben's blue eyes went wide as he appeared slightly startled. "Wow. That's blunt and to the point."

"Well what the hell do you expect? A roll in the sack for old times sake?"

Ben glanced anxiously around him as he guided her back into the hallway. His brow was furrowed as he scowled at her. "Will you keep your voice down? People will hear you."

"And I should care, why?" she asked licking her lips and shaking off his hand from her arm. She blinked and pressed her lips together as she stared at him annoyance. "And anyway what's with cornering me in the hallways? This is the second time you've done it and I certainly don't appreciate it."

"Look, I just wanted to talk to you."

"Well I don't want to talk to you so if you don't mind, I've got a party to get back to."

As Stephanie tried to walk away, she felt Ben grab her arm tightly and pull her back.

"Let go of me!" she hissed as she roughly tried to shake him off.

"I would if you'd just stop and listen to me for a second."

Her blue eyes glared at him as she realised the only way she would get rid of him was to let Ben say his piece and then maybe she could get the hell out of here before Paul appeared and saw them together. God knows it would just be her luck that he would.

"Steph, I'm going to leave her. I'm going to leave Elise. Don't you see? We can be together now."

Stephanie's scowl faded as she stared at him sadly. His blue eyes were hopeful as they waited for her reaction but she didn't have one. Not any longer. His words were too little and too late. Any feelings she had for Ben faded a long time ago and she was in love with someone else now. Someone who made her realise that what she had felt for Ben was never real and it never would be.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?"

She sighed tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. "Why? It's over Ben."

He shook his head adamantly as he grabbed her shoulders desperately searching her face. "But don't you see, Stephanie? It doesn't have to be."

"Yes it does." she squirmed. "Now will you get your filthy hands off me?" she cried as she shoved him off and not knowing what else to do, she quickly dashed back to the ladies bathrooms. It had felt like her only sanctuary and she wasn't sure how long she stood by the door but when she poked her head out, she relieved to see the corridor was empty and slowly began to creep back along the hall.

"Stephanie?"

She heard his voice and felt awash with relief as she looked behind her. Paul was coming from the direction of the restrooms with an amused smile on his face and his hair tucked sexily behind his left ear.

"Did you see Ben hanging around anywhere?" she asked him.

"No." he replied before his brow furrowed with annoyance. "Why? Has he been bothering you?"

Stephanie quickly shook her head. "No. He's just being the rat bastard he always is."

"Want me to punch him out?"

Stephanie's mouth twitched as she shook her head once more although the thought of Paul defending her honour was quite the turn on but honestly, anything to do with Paul was a turn on lately. She turned into this huge big walking hormone whenever she was around him like right now. All she wanted to do was grab him and…..Stephanie quickly shut off that thought determined not to get carried away. After all, they were in a public place and not only that, a public place with an entire quota of work colleagues.

"Well how about letting me have a dance instead?"

Stephanie smiled as she felt Paul's hand on her back gently guiding her out of the hallway. His brown eyes twinkled down at her as they stopped in the corner of the dance floor. "I thought truly manly men didn't dance." she teased.

"For you I'll make the exception." Paul winked as he gripped her hand in his and slid his arm around her waist. "Oh, but I forgot to mention that there is one condition."

"And what's that?" she asked as she briefly closed her eyes inhaling his heavenly cologne. Christ, he smelled incredible.

"That after this one dance, we make a run for it and I get to have you completely to myself for the rest of the night."

Her lips curved into a smile. "I think I can have that arranged."

"Good because what I have planned for you requires complete privacy. No prying eyes. No damn work colleagues around. It will be just you and me."

Stephanie bit down on the inside of her lip trying to contain the grin that threatened to encompass her whole face. "I definitely like the sound of that."

"Meet me round the corner in ten minutes?"

Stephanie raised her brow. "Well see, that depends. Have you been naughty or nice this year Mr Levesque?" she asked, her blue eyes sparkling with the intoxicating mixture of happiness and alcohol.

"If I say nice does that mean I get to unwrap something?"

"Yes." She leaned forward pretending to look over his broad shoulder as she whispered in his ear. "Me!"

"Then in that case, I've been nice. I've been really, really nice."

Stephanie tried to remain poker faced as she glanced around the room discreetly while inside her entire body was tingling with anticipation at the thought of spending some time alone with Paul. God knows it was all she could think about lately. In fact, she just couldn't stop thinking about it. He was on her mind twenty four seven and if that made her pathetic, she didn't care. Paul was a habit she sure as hell didn't want to break.

"Don't keep me waiting." she winked as the song came to an end and she slowly began to walk away mentally preparing in her mind the fastest route possible to get from here back to her apartment.

"Hey Steph?"

She turned round and smiled at Paul as he crossed the short distance between them.

"Do me a favour will you and avoid the stairs? Those shoes are a fucking death trap."

She was still chuckling with amusement as she quickly rushed to the bathrooms to freshen up. Half an hour and one cab ride later she was fumbling with the key in the lock to her apartment door. When they finally got inside, Stephanie let out a surprised scream dropping her keys and her bag as Paul scooped her up into his arms. He adjusted her weight and she grabbed onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His soft hair tangled in between her fingers and she could smell his conditioner. She inhaled the clean smell deeply.

"The last thing I need is you plunging to your death in those fucking heels." he explained.

Stephanie threw her head back and laughed as he carried her up the narrow staircase. She could feel the bubbles of excitement forming in the pit of her stomach as she realised it was actually going to happen. Her waiting was over. Her and Paul, well they were finally going to do IT. It was about fucking time too. Her hormones were in serious overdrive especially after the little makeout session in the back of the cab. If this hadn't happened tonight, she had planned just to jump him anyway. Seriously and to hell with the consequences! She wanted this man so badly. So badly that her body ached for him every time she was near him and of course the constant interruptions this week hadn't helped. Office seduction sure wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Not when every time Paul touched her someone would bang down his door or the phone would start to ring. But not here and not tonight! It would be just her and Paul. Libby and Claire had been well warned to stay the hell away. She'd also discreetly switched her cell phone off in the cab and a newly purchased box of condoms sat in her drawer. Her mother would be proud. She was well and truly prepared.

"Which door is the bedroom?" asked Paul.

"It's the one straight ahead."

Paul shoved the white laminate wood open with his shoulder. Stephanie immediately cringed as she looked over at the bed. It was covered with half her wardrobe and if she wasn't mistaken, that was her bra lying on the floor. Shit. And not one of her sexy, lacy numbers either. Oh no. It had to be the faded white cotton one that was bordering on a funny grey colour. It was the ugliest bra known to man and there it was for Paul to see. Please God he hadn't noticed it. Stephanie slowly turned her head towards him. Thankfully he was looking the in other direction over at her dressing table. The drawer was sitting open crammed with her makeup. Shit. Why the hell hadn't she cleaned up tonight? Oh yeah. She was running late as per bloody usual.

"Jesus Christ, Steph. How many lipsticks do you have?" he chuckled.

"Just a few." she replied. Paul was now looking at her full length mirror. Necklaces dangled from the pine wood frame. A photograph was pushed into the top right corner. And now his head was turning. Shit. He was almost at the bra and if she wasn't mistaken, her big comfortable pants were poking out from under the bed. Stephanie felt herself begin to panic and immediately curled her hand around his cheek. She guided his face towards hers smiling while inside her heart was pounding.

"Em, can you do me a favour?"

Paul smiled and nodded his head.

"Turn and face the door for ten seconds."

Paul's smile began to widen as he lowered her to the floor. "Is this some kinky game of yours, McMahon?"

"You'll just have to turn around and find out." she replied already backing towards the bed.

As Paul turned around she could hear his laughter. He began to slowly count to ten. Amused, she shook her head and picked up the offending garments from the floor. She pulled out a drawer and stuffed them inside before frantically gathering her clothes from the bed. As she looked up, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Stephanie almost died on the spot. Where was the sex kitten from the hotel bathroom? Now she resembled something like a drowned fucking rat. Her pretty curls had flattened and frizzed in the hunt for a cab. Her seductive eyes appeared more panda like with her mascara smudged that way. And not only that, but her bra strap was showing. She'd have to make her excuses and go to the bathroom. She couldn't make love to Paul looking like this. Stephanie quickly threw the clothes on the big chair in the corner of the bedroom. When she turned round Paul was watching her with that sexy smile of his. She cleared her throat nervously as he slowly walked towards her. His brown eyes were dark and captivating.

"You didn't wait until ten." she managed to say as her chest rose and fell with her breathing.

Paul licked his lips as he stood in front of her. He pushed back his hair. "I can't wait another fucking second."

He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her roughly towards him. Stephanie let out a surprised gasp and felt her body explode with nervous energy. She knew this was it, the moment that she had been waiting for in what seemed like forever. Paul captured her mouth with his stealing her breath away. He began to kiss her passionately with his tongue sliding against hers, making her giddy with lust. She could feel his hands drift up and run over her shoulders before effortlessly guiding down the glittery straps of her dress. Stephanie let her own fingers trail down his chest. His skin felt so warm through the material of his shirt. Her manicured fingers began to fumble with his buttons. She needed to feel him. She needed to feel every single part of him. She wanted him so much more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. Tugging on his hem, she yanked his shirt from his trousers. She pushed open the material relishing the feel of his skin. It was so amazingly soft and so firm and smooth. She pushed the black cotton off his shoulders along with his coat. Pulling the cuffs from his wrists, her mouth never left his. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she lost herself in his kiss, his incredible mind exploding kisses.

Paul's tantalising fingers were trailing down her skin. That was when Stephanie realised she had somehow lost her dress. It was now pooled at her feet as Paul's hand moved to her breast. God, he was quick and now he was sucking on her earlobe. Stephanie let out a low groan as her own fingers dipped below his waistband. She threw her head back as his mouth began to trail down her throat. He was nipping and licking at the skin on her collarbone as his thumb rolled over her now exposed nipple. Christ. This was nothing like she had ever experienced before. Paul wasn't even inside her yet her body felt ready to explode. Her senses were on overload. Stephanie's mouth parted in a silent gasp as his mouth closed over her bare breast. He sucked and teased her sensitive nipple while his other hand squeezed the other one. Stephanie reached up with her free hand tangling her fingers in his hair. She pressed his mouth further into her skin. She needed more. She needed him. She slowly began to grind her hips against his and groaned as she felt his hardness press against her. He had to be inside her now. Honestly, she wasn't sure she could wait another second.

She tugged on his hair gently and moved Paul's mouth from her breast. His eyes were dark and aroused when he looked at her. His breathing was ragged and heavy. Stephanie stepped out of her dress and unhooked her bra all the while just watching him. It fell and dropped to the floor as Paul backed her towards the bed. His thick fingers undid his belt, the buckle clinking as he did so. Stephanie swallowed thickly as her legs hit the soft mattress and the blood beat in her ears as Paul yanked down his zipper. She became faintly aware of a car racing by in the street below as he kicked off his shoes. Stephanie realised she was still wearing her heels and she removed them as Paul's trousers fell to the floor. She slowly lifted her head licking her lips as he stood naked in front of her.

"Holy shit." she blurted unable to believe the pure perfection standing in front of her.

"And I haven't even done anything yet." grinned Paul as he lowered her to the bed.

Stephanie blushed as his fingers hooked the waistband of her purple lace underwear and yanked it down her legs. She kicked the garment from her feet and gestured towards the drawer of her nightstand.

"I went to the pharmacy this morning." she said quietly suddenly overcome with shyness. For some reason, discussing contraception with Paul made her feel a little uneasy. She didn't know why. After all, she was lying here totally naked in front of him for the first time ever. Surely she should be feeling awkward about that yet for some reason she didn't. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her with such hunger in his eyes that she knew he desired her. Paul wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him.

As he reached for the drawer she moved from under him. She kicked back the covers and slipped between them. It was getting cold in here. She had a feeling the timer on her heating had long since switched off but there was no way she was going downstairs to fix it. She wasn't wasting another single second to be with this man. The mattress creaked underneath his weight as he got in beside her. His muscular body hung over hers. As she turned to him her stomach churned in nervous anticipation. His mouth was moving towards her. Suddenly Stephanie placed her fingers on her lips stopping him. She smiled at his inquisitive stare.

"I wanted to tell you something." she whispered.

"What?"

"It's just that well….." Her voice trailed off as he brushed his fingertips across her forehead guiding a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm not that experienced, Paul. I don't know any tricks." she admitted.

"Tricks?"

Stephanie nodded her head against the pillow. She saw Paul's amused grin and looked away suddenly feeling embarrassed. "You know what? Just forget it."

"No. Tell me what tricks you had in mind."

Stephanie glared at him suddenly feeling defensive. "None and that's the whole point. I don't know any fucking tricks Paul and that's what I'm trying to tell you."

"Neither do I." he said. His handsome face was totally serious.

Stephanie stared at him suspiciously. "I don't believe you."

"It's true." Paul's mouth lowered towards hers. As their lips were about to meet he pulled back. His brown eyes sparkled at her. "Actually that's a lie. I do know one trick."

"You do?"

Paul nodded.

"What is it?"

"Well it's…." He stopped looking at her for a moment. A playful grin slowly crossed his face as he shook his head. "No, I can't tell you."

"Paul!" she cried before giggling loudly. "Tell me, please."

"Actually, I'd rather demonstrate my talents if you don't mind."

Stephanie gave a delighted squeal as he disappeared below the covers. She felt him lift her leg and place it over his shoulder. His tongue teased her thigh as he licked and kissed her hot flesh. Her body squirmed underneath him anticipating his touch. And when his mouth finally reached that place, she gave out a cry of appreciation for his overwhelming talent letting her body succumb to him…..


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Stephanie's chunky heels momentarily drowned out the low sound of the Christmas carol playing on the radio as she walked across the tiled floor of the office bathrooms. "Claire? Are you there?" she called out.

"In here." replied a voice in the direction of the far away cubicle. "I'll just be a sec."

Stephanie smiled in acknowledgment as she walked across to stand in front of the walled mirrors. She removed her black leather shoulder bag placing it down on the ledge next to the small box of tissues. As her fingers rummaged through looking for her lip gloss, she began to absently hum along with Bing who was more than happy to let it snow. Quite frankly she couldn't agree with him more. She loved the snow and outside the big huge flakes had begun to fall steadily, swirling round and covering everything it touched in a blanket of white. The Christmas lights were twinkling brightly too transforming the busy city into a winter wonderland. It was all so pretty and even a little romantic to her mind although she'd never considered Christmas as romantic before but being a woman in love obviously made her see things in a completely new perspective.

Stephanie's expression was almost dream-like as she lifted her head staring back at the face in front of her, her big blue eyes dotting to and fro. She was pleased to see there were no obvious changes, at least none that she could identify. The face reflected in the mirror was exactly the same as yesterday to the point that her cheekbones still weren't as prominent as she would like them to be and her eyebrows most definitely needed attention but all in all, it appeared she was hiding it pretty well. She'd even been careful selecting her wardrobe this morning going for a black turtle neck sweater and trousers that were the exact opposite of what she would class "office seduction". She'd even completed the look by scraping her hair into a neat bun and wearing the minimum amount of make-up settling for a light touch-up of lip gloss and mascara. No one would suspect a thing. Not one person in that office would know what she and Paul got up to last night and it had to stay that way. What they had shared would be some wonderful secret between just the two of them. And it was wonderful. In fact, the night they had shared had been absolutely amazing.

Lifting her slender fingers, she lightly brushed them along the column of her throat as she let her mind drift remembering Paul kissing her there making her sigh with pleasure. In fact, he had kissed her everywhere leaving no part of her body undiscovered. His touch had been so assured yet gentle, thrilling her yet adoring her all at the same time. It was like nothing she had experienced before and although she was far from pure, in a lot of ways last night had been a night of firsts for her. It had been the first time she had given herself to someone so completely. It was the first time she had been with a man knowing she was truly in love with him. It was also the first time she had been with Paul. The faintest of smiles traced her lips as she thought of him. Even now she found it hard to believe that they had actually slept together and that she had spent the night cradled in his arms. Not that she could sleep, not properly, not knowing he was lying next to her close enough that she could smell him and listen to his heartbeat. It seemed like some incredible dream that any moment she could wake up from. So much so that the few times she had drifted off, she would wake up and lose her breath for a second realising Paul really was there holding her, his arms wrapped loosely around her like a soft, warm blanket. Occasionally she would poke him too just to check that he was real and that he wasn't just a figment of her imagination. There was even one time she peeked underneath the covers just to make absolutely sure of course.

The sound of the toilet flushing and the click of the lock quickly snapped Stephanie out of her haze. She shook her head slightly as if to clear it of the fog and glancing down from the mirror, her fingers began to unscrew the lid from her tube of lip gloss as the sound of Claire's footsteps drowned out Bing once more.

"Who the hell organises a Christmas party on a Wednesday night?"

Stephanie smiled to herself as Claire voiced the exact same words Paul had muttered before he had left her apartment in a cab in the early hours of this morning only his expletives had been a little bit stronger and more repetitive too if she remembered correctly.

"Whoever it is, remind me to slap them, will you? I've got the hangover to end all hangovers." Claire continued turning on the faucet.

Stephanie chuckled as she applied her lip gloss. As she rolled her lips together, she realised that for some funny reason she was feeling absolutely fine this morning. Okay she was tired but there was no sign of a hangover whatsoever. Then again, she hadn't been as drunk as Claire who had insisted on drinking those potent apple shooters, something she had deliberately avoided knowing how lethal they had been the last time. In fact it was because of them she'd almost plunged to her death on the winding metal grated staircase at that bar. Of course, Paul had been her white knight and grabbed hold of her, rescuing her.

"You know you're looking ridiculously happy for someone who should be grumpy and irritable like the most of the people in this office." commented Claire as she grabbed a paper towel and dried her hands off. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she walked across to the waste bucket staring at Stephanie's reflection in the mirror. "In fact, you're positively glowing. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing." she replied quickly, lifting her shoulder in a casual shrug as she replaced her lip gloss in her bag.

"You're lying. Something's happened with Paul, hasn't it?" Claire stopped in front of her friend and placing her hand on Stephanie's shoulder she turned her around, her green eyes widening instantly. "Oh my God! You had sex last night, didn't you?"

Her loud exclamation caused Stephanie to instantly glance over at the door, her forehead crinkled with apprehension like she was expecting the entire office block to suddenly descend in the bathroom in light of this revelation. God knows it would be just her luck too. "Would you keep your voice down!" she hissed as she glared back at her.

"You did, didn't you?"

Stephanie shrugged her off pressing her lips together tightly.

"You have to tell me."

"No I don't." she sniffed.

"Oh yes, you do." smirked Claire as she turned and leant her back against the ledge. Her green eyes glinted wickedly as she folded her arms across her chest. "Tell me or Libby gets to be my chief bridesmaid at my wedding."

Stephanie's mouth parted in shock. "But that's not fair."

"Neither is keeping secrets from your one of your best friends. So you either give it up or I can give Libby the good news. She'll look great in burgundy, don't you think?"

"Burgundy? But you promised the dresses would be green."

Claire bit down on her lip thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, that whole age superstition thing. Looks like it completely slipped my mind"

Stephanie's lips twitched at the corners. "Bitch!"

"I love you too." grinned Claire. "But you still haven't answered my question about what you got up to last night."

She bit down on the corner of her lip trying her best to conceal the smile that threatened to erupt across her face but it was futile. Before she knew it, she was standing grinning like a complete idiot giving Claire the answer she was looking for without even having to utter a single word.

"I knew it!" cried Claire as she turned to her, clapping her palms together in glee. "I knew when you disappeared that you'd left with Paul."

Stephanie's smile down turned into a worried frown. "Do you think anyone else did? Know that I left with Paul, I mean."

Claire quickly shook her head. "Everyone was far too drunk to notice, Steph. Besides, I think Paul hung around for a while after you took your bag from the table. I'm sure I saw him talking to Nick at the bar."

Just then the door opened and the conversation quickly ended as Lucy the receptionist walked through. The girls nodded their hello as she walked to the cubicle and Stephanie let out a calming breath as she grabbed her bag from the ledge.

"Let's go and grab that coffee." murmured Claire.

She nodded and followed on behind her grateful to escape from the office for fifteen minutes and the eyes she were sure were staring at her somehow suspecting something. But thankfully Paul and Nick were both out of the office this morning so she didn't have to worry about how she acted around him. Although she was pretty sure it was going to take a tremendous amount of self restraint not to just grab him and kiss him like she wanted to and by God, how she wanted to. All her emotions had burst out over the surface last night and she was going to have to find some way to reign them back in at least until they could find a chance to be alone together. God, even just thinking about him, she felt weak. Maybe when Paul got back she could discreetly slip into his office and grab a few minutes with him because suddenly she felt desperate to see him.

But Stephanie was sitting at her computer still waiting for him to return well into the afternoon. She couldn't help but feel disappointed as she looked up to see the clock had struck four already. All day she'd worked herself up about how she would act when she saw him, what she would do, what she would say. In front of everyone else, she would be so cool and collected on the outside maybe offering him a wave or mumbling a hello while inside her whole body would be a mass of delicious tingles.

"Good afternoon Paul."

Stephanie's fingers froze on her keyboard, her senses immediately heightened by the sound of his name. Just the simple knowledge of his presence caused her heart to start pounding madly and her insides were performing somersaults at the thought of seeing him. Not that she was sure she could actually trust herself to look at Paul at any point today, not without completely giving the game away in front of their work colleagues. She was scared that the overwhelming feelings she had for him after their new level of intimacy would somehow spill out onto her face betraying them. God knows people were suspicious enough after the kiss they had shared under the mistletoe last night. Although no one had actually said anything, she could tell by the odd inquisitive stares thrown her way throughout the day. She sure as hell wasn't adding fuel to that particular fire by having a meltdown every time she looked into those smouldering brown eyes. Ducking her head down, Stephanie pondered over what to do. It wasn't like she could avoid him all day. In fact, there was every chance he'd stop by her desk right now. He usually did checking for any messages that might have been left while he was out of the office. God and now she could hear Violet talking to him. That meant he was only a matter of feet away. Feeling the panic beginning to creep in, Stephanie's eyes quickly scoured around her desk. She was about to pick up the phone in an attempt to appear distracted and busy when she noticed the sunglasses she had discarded earlier this morning. It was before the snow had fallen and the low sun had been shining in the sky nipping at her tired eyes. Grabbing them, she quickly put them on. Now she could avoid getting lost in those amazing brown pools of his. She could divert her eyes elsewhere while talking to him and no one would be any the wiser or think anything of it. After all, Cosmopolitan had listed them as the new "must-have" fashion accessory. Okay, it hadn't been referring to the office environment but maybe she could start a new trend. Yes. Maybe even in a couple of months every woman in New York would be sitting at their desk with their Fendi sunglasses looking terribly sophisticated and chic. And of course Fendi would be more than grateful for the exposure and the increased sales and would send her free gifts as a way of saying thank you. Maybe she could recommend that their gratitude extended to the cute Fendi handbag she had been admiring just last week with the pretty diamante encrusted shoulder straps….

"Hey Stephanie."

Suddenly all thoughts about Fendi handbags were forgotten as she heard his voice and felt Paul standing behind her in her cubicle. God, she loved how her name fell from his lips. Her whole body began to tingle, completely aware of his proximity as he moved closer to the desk. Letting out a calming breath in some attempt to reduce her heart rate, she tried to discreetly glance to the side watching him flick through the few messages she had left beside the telephone. That was when he turned and flashed her that heart breaking smile and suddenly she could hear his whispers in her ear, taste his kisses on her lips and feel his hard heat pressed up against her. Stephanie felt a rush of blood to her face and her fingers began to toy with the neck of her sweater pulling at it gently in a lame attempt to try and aid her skin colouring back to normal.

"Is the sun bothering you?"

"What?" she asked swivelling round in her chair and realising she had no clue what Paul had just said to her. It was extremely hard to focus feeling so flustered and hot. Of course it was even harder with him looking so handsome this afternoon immaculately dressed in a dark grey suit and blue shirt, his soft strands tucked behind his ears. Though really she had no chance in hell of concentrating at all, not when she knew the type of underwear he would be wearing underneath that suit. And Holy Christ, she even knew what was concealed under the actual underwear.

"The sun. I asked if it was bothering you."

Grabbing the handful of envelopes by her in-tray, Stephanie briefly shook her head as she lifted them to her face and began to fan herself with the stationery. As she wondered when the snow had stopped, she realised the small bursts of cold air did little to cool her down. In fact, she swore it was getting even warmer especially with Paul perched on the edge of the desk like that, watching her.

"Steph, are you okay?" he asked, his nose wrinkled cutely in concern.

"She's obviously hung over, bless her."

Stephanie almost snarled at Nick as she looked up to see him peering over the wall of her cubicle. "I'm not hung over." she told him matter of factly. Even through the dark lenses of her glasses, she could feel the bright glare of his Hawaiian print shirt. It was that ridiculous one with the pink flamingos. Surely to God, he hadn't attended a meeting looking like that.

"Then what's with the dark glasses?" Nick enquired.

"They are the height of fashion actually." she sniffed. "Not that I would expect you to know anything about that."

Paul's amused snort at her retort was quickly concealed by a cough as stood up from the desk. "I'm going to take care of these messages. Steph, I'll see you in my office? We need to run over a press release before five."

Stephanie nodded as she watched him walk away followed closely by Nick, her heart lifting at the thought of finally getting the chance to see him alone even if she did actually have to play the dutiful assistant. Although once the release was out the way, there would be plenty of time to show Paul exactly how much she had missed him this morning. She smiled to herself as she swivelled in her chair.

"Oh and maybe you could bring some coffee too." His voice startled her as he leant over the wall of her cubicle, the corners of his mouth curving up irresistibly. "I reckon I could probably use the sustenance."

His parting wink sent a flash of heat to her face. Once again, she was all hot and flustered and it was entirely all his fault. Damn him.

After somehow managing to regain her composure and remembering to save the drafts she'd been working on, Stephanie stood up from her cubicle and made her way across the office to the coffee machine. She deliberately didn't even look once in the direction of Mandy's desk. She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of casting her that knowing glance or the chance to comment about the kiss last night because God knows, she would be dying to. In fact the Mouth was probably dangerously close to exploding having to keep it all in for the last seven hours. Well, at least in front of her anyway. She really had to ask Paul what he said to her the time he pulled Mandy into his office because since that day, the bitch had been practically mute and it was a welcome turn of events that was for sure.

Humming a tune to herself, Stephanie picked up the large glass coffee pot. Her left hand selected the large blue ceramic mug sitting at the corner and she pulled it across the tray towards her. As she poured the hot dark liquid, she wondered if Paul had any plans for tonight and if he did, if they included her. He had mentioned taking her to the gym just the other day. The brochure for the new Oakfield health club was scheduled for release in early February. That meant she had less than six weeks to hone up on her gym skills and right now, she needed all the time and help she could get. Although she wasn't sure she could muster up the energy for the gym tonight. She was tired and fancied an early night but not that tired that she wondered if she could persuade Paul to join her.

"You're spilling that everywhere."

Nick's voice jolted her out of her trance-like state and Stephanie glanced down to see coffee trickling over the side of the mug.

"Maybe you should take off the glasses so you can actually see where you're pouring it?" suggested Nick as he stood beside her, his arms folded across his chest and his black rimmed spectacles perched at the end of his nose.

Stephanie scowled at him as she placed the coffee pot down and pushed the glasses up into her hair, silently cursing him under her breath and daring him to ask her for a cup just so she could have the satisfaction of spitting in it, the bastard!

"You know water rehydrates you far better than coffee does."

Stephanie pressed her lips together as she let out a slow, calming breath, grabbing a piece of paper towel as she started to mop up the spilled drink. "Actually it's not for me. Paul wanted a cup before we go over the press release."

"Oh, well Mandy just took him a cup a couple of minutes ago with a file he was looking for." he replied.

Stephanie bit down on her tongue resisting the urge to ask him why the bitch was doing that in the first place when quite clearly it was her job, her responsibility. After all, she was the one that was Paul's acting assistant, not Mandy. But then again, that had never stopped her before.

"So, did you have a good time last night?"

Stephanie lifted her eyes as she deposited the coffee soaked paper towel in the waste bin. She eyed Nick cautiously as she nodded her head, feeling a little wary of the fact that he was wilfully engaging in a form of conversation with her.

"Well, you certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself, especially out on that dance floor."

"I was."

"Unfortunately I never caught the chance for a dance myself. I was too busy mingling."

Stephanie smiled silently wondering if there was a point to all of this because if there was, she wished Nick would just get to it instead of standing here and wasting her valuable time.

"Of course it was mostly with Paul although he seemed to disappear towards the end of the night."

Stephanie tried her best to be non-chalant, casually lifting her shoulder in a shrug as she pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I can't say I noticed."

"And come to think of it, I don't think I remember seeing you either."

Stephanie felt herself begin to panic. "Oh, em, I was in the bathrooms." she blurted out, silently congratulating herself for her quick thinking while deciding to embellish to make it a little more believable. Blowing her hair from her eye, she smiled at him sheepishly. "Actually it's a little embarrassing to admit it, but I threw up twice. See, I stupidly over indulged on those little apple shooters. Take my advice, Nick. Don't ever try them because they are sneaky little suckers. I mean you may think that they taste nice and everything and they may even sparkle prettily in the glass but let me tell you, they are absolutely lethal."

When she finished, Nick raised his brow and stood there for a second just looking at her. Stephanie half-suspected him to point at her and scream liar. Her nerves had made her completely ramble on like an idiot but she was pleasantly surprised when a smug grin spread across his face as he pointed towards the glasses perched on her head.

"I knew when I saw you wearing those that you were hung over."

Stephanie let out a relieved giggle. "You got me."

"Well maybe next time you'll take your own advice and avoid those "sneaky little suckers"." he smirked before turning round and walking back to his desk.

Stephanie was tempted to flip him off but instead she turned and walked in the opposite direction towards Paul's office, her spirits lifted at the thought of seeing him and spending a moment alone with him. Smiling at Violet as she passed by, she wondered what he would say to her or how he would act with her. Hopefully things wouldn't be horribly awkward between them now they had taken things to the next level although there had been no evidence of that at all when he had winked at her suggestively over her cubicle wall.

Hesitating for a split second, Stephanie knocked on the door. She was surprised to see her hand was trembling ever so slightly. But then again, she had been building herself up for this all day so maybe it was expected that she feel a little nervous about seeing him again. In fact, the current flutter of butterflies in her chest would attest to that fact. Letting out a slow, calming breath, Stephanie stepped into the office telling herself that it was only Paul and that she had seen him a hundred times before so there was really no reason to feel this way at all. She just needed to calm down and relax.

As she closed the door behind her, she turned round to see Paul standing just in front of her, his brown eyes twinkling at her as she swallowed thickly.

"Hey." he smiled.

Without giving her a chance to reply, Paul curled his big hands around her face lowering his head and silencing her soft, surprised gasp with his warm and tender kiss. In that moment, the world stopped and her heart raced as his tongue slid into her open mouth brushing over her tongue. The familiar taste of him made her knees tremble with longing and at that moment she was grateful that he was cupping her face otherwise there was every chance she would have melted away to a puddle on the floor. Stephanie sighed softly, her lips parting further allowing Paul to deepen the kiss, his tongue gently sweeping over her mouth causing her to feel every sensation to the tips of her fingers. When they finally broke apart, she was breathless, her eyes blinking heavily as they struggled to open, still caught up in the aftermath of his kiss.

"Hey." she finally managed to stammer out as she met those incredible brown eyes.

"I thought I should apologise for rushing out on you this morning." smiled Paul, his hands still resting gently on her arms, lightly rubbing them underneath the wool of her sweater. "Forgive me?"

Stephanie's mouth curved up gently as she somehow managed to find her breath again. "Well your lips can be very persuasive."

"Really?"

She nodded realising that not only were his lips persuasive but Paul's kiss had also soothed those fears silently lingering in the back of her mind. Fears that she hadn't even been aware of until she'd walked into the office and saw him standing there.

"But the question is, are they going to be persuasive enough for you to agree to come over to my place tonight?"

Her blue eyes widened with surprise. "Your place, huh?"

Paul nodded as his finger playfully tapped her nose. "I've got a little something I want to give you."

The left hand side of her mouth curved into a smirk. "Oh yeah?"

His deep chuckle made his shoulders shake. "Get your mind out of the gutter, McMahon. I meant a gift."

"Oh."

"And the fact I used the word little should have proved that my intentions were nothing but honourable." He paused for a second as he guided her to his desk, sitting down on the edge and pulling her to stand in between his parted thighs. "Well, until after the main course at least." he winked.

Stephanie felt a rush of heat as she realised what his implications meant, her body tingling at the delicious thoughts of him touching her again. "So you're cooking, too?" she said. "I am impressed."

"Oh there's no end to my talents as you may have discovered last night."

Suddenly that heat rushed to her cheeks and she dipped her head, quickly glancing at the plush beige carpet. However, it was only a matter of seconds before Paul tucked his warm fingers underneath her chin drawing her face up to meet his. She saw the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Are you blushing?" he asked her, teasingly.

"No." she replied with a small shake of her head.

"You are. You're blushing."

Stephanie squirmed under the intensity of his stare her blue eyes darting back and forwards trying her best to look away. "Stop it, Paul. You're embarrassing me."

"Why?" he chuckled. "I think it's cute."

She looked back at him, his brown eyes watching her and drawing her in once more. Before she knew it, her face began to move slowly towards his and she licked her lips in anticipation of his kiss, her heart skipping a beat at the simple thought of it. Their noses brushed together as his warm breath danced on her mouth. Her eyelids began to flicker when suddenly there was a knock at the door and they quickly jumped apart. Paul raked his fingers through his hair as Stephanie slid into the seat just as the door opened and Nick poked his head through. She gritted her teeth together at the sight of him, resisting the need to throttle him. Really, what was it with this man? If she had a dollar for every time he had interrupted them or gate crashed a date, she could probably have enough money to pay off her credit card. Or maybe she could buy that cute little Fendi handbag after all. Hmmm…

"Paul, the agency has just been on the phone."

Stephanie's brow crinkled in curiosity, all thoughts of the handbag forgotten.

"It looks like your new personal assistant can start the Monday after New Years." smiled Nick as he hovered in the doorway.

"Okay. Thanks."

Stephanie's heart felt heavy as she glanced over at Paul. His lips were curved up gently as he looked over at Nick. He obviously wasn't as disappointed as she was at the news of the new personal assistant. God, she'd forgotten her post was temporary. Now it meant her time with him would be even less. She'd have to settle for odd moments here and there at the office and no doubt under the watchful eye of everyone. Their time alone would be scarce. It just wasn't fair.

"I told her a ten o'clock start."

"Perfect." nodded Paul.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes in his direction silently trying to communicate the fact that he could at least have the decency to look a little bit put out about all this. Instead he looked pleased. In fact he looked far too pleased for her liking.

"So Steph, it looks like you and I will be working together on that new liquor promotion after all."

Stephanie rolled her eyes before she shifted on her chair and turned to Nick forcing a smile on her face. "Great. I can't wait."

"Well I'm going to get off now. Eleanor's got her Pilates class tonight and I told her I would look after the kids."

"Okay." said Paul as he stood up from his desk, his soft hands smoothing down the wrinkles in his trousers. "Goodnight Nick and thanks for today."

"You're welcome." he replied as he pushed up his glasses, his grey eyes darting across to Stephanie. "Goodnight Steph."

She lifted her hand in a wave. "Goodnight."

The door clicked shut behind him. She turned around pleasantly surprised to feel Paul's warm fingers taking hold of her hand and pulling her to her feet.

"You know if I didn't know any better, I would swear I detected a hint of sarcasm in your tone to Nick." he grinned.

As he slid his arms around her waist, she noticed the faint shadows cross his handsome face and she glanced at the window behind him to realise it was now dark outside. The low sun had already disappeared behind the high rise buildings and the sky had turned a dark navy blue. She wondered if it would snow again tonight. She loved walking home in the snow. Maybe she and Paul could even walk home together. She had to make the most out of leaving the office with him. In less than a couple of weeks, he'd be leaving with someone else.

"Hey, what's up?"

She shook her head mentally kicking herself for making it obvious that something was troubling her especially over something that clearly didn't trouble him. She looked at Paul deliberately putting a smile on her face. "It's nothing."

His brown eyes narrowed, seeming to survey her thoughtfully. "Well I don't think it's nothing. If it was nothing, you wouldn't have been wearing that frown that I saw just a second ago."

Stephanie shook her head silently cursing him for being so observant but at the same time wanting to hug him for caring enough to ask. She never had anyone care about her before. Not like Paul. That's when she realised she was fretting over nothing. Just because they weren't working together as closely any more, it didn't mean they wouldn't be seeing one another. They were dating after all. Nothing was going to change between them. Not in that way. Licking her lips, she reached up to brush her fingers through his soft, blonde strands. "I'm just being stupid, that's all."

"About what?"

Stephanie pressed her lips together tightly as she pushed his hair behind his ear, her fingers dropping to trail over his jaw. "You don't want to know."

"Yes I do. That's why I'm asking."

She said nothing and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing him in and hoping he would forget about it and kiss her instead.

"Am I going to have to force it out of you because I have it on good authority that you're quite ticklish."

Stephanie quickly lifted her head, her blue eyes staring at him incredulously. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me."

As his fingers gently poked her side, she cried out squirming against the strength of his grip. "Paul! No!"

Her plea fell on deaf ears as he began to tickle her side, a scream escaping from her lips as her body writhed against his. The sensations were shooting up her body causing her to snort and protest all at the same time.

"Paul, stop it please! Paul!" she whined.

His deep laughter made her stomach coil with desire not to mention the fact that her body was still pressed firmly against his. Struggling to catch her breath, she deliberately stepped back putting some distance between them well aware of where they were and what they shouldn't be doing. Nick may have gone home but there was every chance that Violet and Mandy were still out there. She wasn't prepared to take the risk. God knows it was bad enough that people had seen them kiss last night albeit they had the excuse of the mistletoe all thanks to Paul and his damn traditions!

Tugging down the hem of her sweater, Stephanie removed the lopsided sun glasses from her hair and threw them down on the desk casting Paul a less than amused glance. "People could have heard that, you know."

He lifted his shoulder in a casual shrug as he moved to walk behind his desk. "Let them." he replied.

Stephanie raised her eyebrow in surprise as she watched him sit down and start to flick through a file that was lying open in front of him. Sitting down on the edge of his desk, she picked up a pen and absently began to click the lid., her brow furrowed in concern. "You know you've developed a sudden devilish I don't care attitude lately." As Paul looked up, she sighed softly. "I mean doesn't it bother you that people will find out about us because it should?"

"Why?"

Stephanie's mouth parted open in surprise. "Paul, you know why!" she exclaimed as she watched him sit back in his chair. His big hand lifted to scratch at his stubbled chin, his shoulders rising and falling with his heavy sigh.

"Have you ever considered that fact that maybe, just maybe, I'm sick and tired of hiding our relationship?"

"But Paul, we have to." she replied, not sure what else to say, her panic getting the better of her. Quite honestly she didn't want to lose her job. She didn't want Paul to lose his either no matter how loudly she wanted to shout to the world that they were together. But wow, he said they were in a relationship, a proper grown up relationship. How wonderful was that?

"See I don't think so. Do you that nowhere in the terms of my contract does it actually state that I can't date a member of my staff."

Stephanie pressed her lips together as she struggled to take in what he was trying to tell her. She shook her head, remembering the situation with Katie and the reason why Paul was sitting here in the first place. "But Bob Sinclair….."

Paul shook his head interrupting her. "He was married, Steph and his affair with Katie wasn't exactly his first. In fact, it was just one in a long line over the years. But when word got out to one of our major accounts and they threatened to pull their business, the Board probably had no option but to fire him."

"But still we don't know that for sure….." she said uncertainly, the element of worry still lingering in the back of her mind. It was a big thing going public with this. There was also the chance that Paul was completely wrong and one whiff of their romance and he would be out the door. Maybe he'd have to move to another state and she'd never even see him again. There was no way she would let that happen. She wasn't prepared to lose him. Not now. Not after falling head over heels in love with him. Paul was the one for her. She knew it. She felt it with everything inside her. She was even wearing a green bridesmaids dress, she was that certain and she fucking hated green. Letting out a shaky breath, she looked up to see Paul smiling at her.

"Come here." he said softly.

Placing down the pen, Stephanie crossed the short distance between them. Paul took her hand once more guiding her down onto his lap. His brown eyes were tender and gentle as he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close as she rested her head on his shoulder, his blonde strands gently brushing against her cheek. As he dropped a kiss on her temple, she closed her eyes relishing the feel of being close to him and the scent of him.

"Look, we can keep all this cloak and dagger stuff going if you want to. If you still want to keep this secret then of course, I'm going to respect that."

Stephanie smiled her thanks as she inhaled his spicy cologne

"But I care about you, Steph and as far as I'm concerned, I want the whole world to know just how much I care about you."

She lifted her head, her blue eyes staring back at his in stunned disbelief. "You…you do?"

Paul nodded his head as something simmered in his brown depths, something she was sure she had seen last night as he had lain beside her, tenderly brushing her hair across her forehead. "I'm crazy about you, Steph."

His mouth met hers in a kiss and Stephanie felt her hear soar. His words rolled around deliciously in her head as his warm lips brushed over her. Paul was crazy about her. Crazy! God, he was practically telling her he loved her. Well, almost. She wasn't going to get ahead of herself here but just to make sure she was going to check that Claire wasn't joking about the whole burgundy thing because nothing was going to jinx this for the world. Wow. Paul was crazy about her. How amazing and wonderfully romantic was that?


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Stephanie stepped out of the cab. It had just begun to snow and big soft flakes fell from the black night sky swirling in the chilly breeze before drifting lazily to the ground. She held her hand out catching them as she stood in front of the ornate red brick and glass building. A soft smile traced her lips as the snow melted on her palm, dissolving into cold wet droplets. Here she was. Paul's apartment block. Paul's obviously really expensive apartment block.

As Stephanie let out a calming breath, her hand fell to her side and she tentatively approached the double glass doors adjusting the strap of her leather handbag on her shoulder. She tilted her head upwards admiring the sunken spotlights in the steel roof just above her illuminating the entrance. Talk about luxury. All she had guiding her home was a temperamental street light that she had accidentally walked into one evening chipping her back tooth and costing her a fortune on dental work. And okay she had been drinking but it hadn't been her fault at all. The damn thing had flickered off as she had turned the corner casting her side of the street in complete darkness. She had no unearthly idea where she had been going and she'd even attempted to unlock her neighbour's door. There would be no danger of that happening to Paul though. The entire building he lived in was prettily lit up like all year round Christmas illuminations. 

As Stephanie pressed her palm against the glass door, she silently congratulated herself on sticking to her decision to freshen up before coming here. Although the quick ten minute fix-me-up that she had promised Paul as she scurried out of the office had somehow turned into a sixty minute makeover. She was running a little late but she felt justified in knowing there was no way she could have shown up at Paul's place looking like she had this morning. At least in her Prada sandals and her black embroidered kaftan like the one that famous model had worn in Cosmopolitan, she felt somewhat decent. She also wore her favourite perfume with that extra spray for luck of course. 

Smiling to herself, Stephanie was suddenly shocked to feel the door disappear from her reach causing her to stumble awkwardly forward. She felt herself collide into something or was that someone? Shit! Glancing up, she was met with a pair of curious blue eyes, eyes that belonged to the tallish stocky person standing in front of her. She smiled apologetically, her cheeks flushed as she quickly collected herself, smoothing her hands over her black wool coat. 

"Good evening Miss." 

Stephanie stared at the fresh faced man curiously. His grey strands were hidden underneath his peaked grey cap. His matching grey jacket was neat and tidy with the slight gap between the shiny gold round buttons revealing the extremely snug fit. 

"How may I help you this evening?" he asked her politely. 

Stephanie licked her dry lips, clearing her throat. "I'm here to see Paul…..I mean Mr Levesque." she corrected, smiling a little uneasily at her own lack of etiquette. Paul had a doorman. A freaking doorman! How rich was this guy exactly? 

"And may I have your name?" 

She quickly nodded. "Stephanie. Stephanie McMahon." 

She waited pensively for his response half expecting him to ask her for proof of her identity. Her shoulders dropped with relief when the doorman smiled kindly at her instead. 

"Mr Levesque did mention I was to expect you. Here. Let me escort you to the elevator." 

"Thank you…" Stephanie paused and licked her lips awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I didn't ask you your name." 

He looked at her for a second, his smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. "It's Fred, miss." 

She nodded and smiled as they walked the short distance across the lobby, her blue eyes taking in everything from the beautifully decorated Christmas tree to the burgundy rug running down the centre that looked so plush and soft like velvet. If it wasn't for that stupid bridesmaid curse she had found out about, she would have definitely agreed to a colour similar to this for their dresses. As it was she was stuck with green and she loathed bloody green. 

"Mr Levesque is on the twelfth floor, Apartment B." Fred told her catching her attention dismissing further thoughts about all colour and dresses as he guided her into the elevator pressing the shiny chrome button. 

"Well Fred, thank you." 

"You're welcome miss." 

"Please, it's Stephanie." she told him, shaking her head at the formality. 

"Then good evening Miss Stephanie." Fred smiled tipping his hat to her as the elevator doors slid shut. 

Stephanie grinned back and stood waiting patiently for the red light to ascend to number twelve, the top floor of course. As she shifted her feet underneath her, she scolded herself for being so naïve. She honestly hadn't realised that when Paul had told her he lived on West 17th Street, that it would be somewhere like this. Then again, it had been a long time since she had been in this part of the city. This building was beautiful and there was even a bench in here for sitting on with blue padded cushions that matched the blue carpet underneath her feet. Not that she could sit down on it. She had far too much nervous energy to sit. Small bubbles of excitement were floating around in her stomach already at the thought of spending some proper alone time with Paul and God only knows what his apartment was going to be like inside. Maybe she'd even see inside his bedroom. 

Smiling at that thought, she watched the elevator doors slide open. Stephanie clutched the strap of her handbag tentatively stepping out into the hallway and immediately noticing that there were only two apartments, one on either side of her. At least that narrowed her possibilities down. The question was which one was Paul's? By the looks of things neither of the doors had the letter B on them or any other letter of the alphabet for that matter. How the hell would she know which door to knock on? 

As she stood there chewing on her lip gloss, pondering over her dilemma and seriously debating going down the eenie meenie route, Stephanie heard a door open to her right. Her head immediately turned in that direction and she couldn't contain the huge smile that exploded across her face at the simple sight of him. Paul was there, his right shoulder leaning against the door frame as he grinned at her. Her heart skipped a beat as she walked towards him, her heels lightly clicking against the highly polished floor. How did he know she was here already? He had obviously sensed her distress just a few seconds ago. Wow. Maybe now they'd slept together, they had found that closeness, the closeness that meant their feelings were now attuned to one another, their minds in perfect harmony. Maybe she could even tell what Paul was thinking right now. Although really, she was going to have trouble concentrating with him looking all kinds of sexy in a pair of faded jeans and a navy polo shirt that hung loosely over them and hugged his massive chest perfectly. 

"Hey there, beautiful." 

Stephanie blushed at his greeting as she practically melted into his big, strong arms. 

"You look really nice." smiled Paul, his warm lips brushing over hers softly. "I like your hair. It's pretty like that." 

As his long fingers brushed through her loose waves, she silently congratulated herself on the fifteen painstaking minutes spent in front of the mirror with the curling irons and suddenly it didn't matter about the tin of hair mousse that had erupted all over her bed covers and the new cocktail dress she had worn last night. Shit. She hoped it didn't stain. 

"It makes that extra hour you spent in the bathroom all worth while." commented Paul, his brown eyes twinkling with his amusement. 

Stephanie grimaced at his words as he placed his hand on her back, gently guiding her inside the apartment. "Look I know and I'm so sorry." she told him. "Please tell me I haven't ruined dinner." 

He chuckled, shaking his head as they stood in the foyer. "I think I've become accustomed to your time keeping and I actually budgeted for you being a little late. Here. Pass me your coat." 

Stephanie pressed her lips together suppressing her grin as she handed over her bag to Paul's outstretched hand and slid the black wool garment from her shoulders. 

"I'll just hang these in the closet. Go on in and make yourself at home. The living room and kitchen is to your left." he gestured, nodding his head in that direction. 

Stephanie slowly turned on her heel wandering across the hardwood floor and she had only taken a few steps when her blue eyes went wide like saucers and her mouth parted in stunned amazement. Wow was the only word that she could summon as she took a sharp intake of breath observing her beautiful surroundings. It was like something out of Hollywood. The hardwood floor continued to this room with the walls coated in a plain glossy white paint but the effect was fantastic. 

The first thing that really grabbed her attention was the floor to ceiling windows on the right. She could see the bright lights of the city reflected in the glass. Some type of plant sat on a ledge and two large deep red coloured cushions were positioned at the bottom of one of the windows. Paul obviously liked to sit there and enjoy the view. Maybe they could sit there tonight. She could picture it now. They could be sipping on a glass of wine after dinner, listening to some romantic music while they talked. Paul would be holding her as she rested her back against his chest, their hands entwined. Maybe he would even read to her. The latest edition of Vogue was still in her handbag. She would have to remember about that. 

Smiling dreamily, Stephanie turned her attention to the large cream corner sofa that adorned the bottom half of the large open plan room. Matching deep red rectangular cushions were placed in each seat. A glass coffee table sat just in front of it and there was a large silver screen television mounted on the wall. The Christmas tree sparkled prettily in the far corner with the lights dancing across the walls. Some sport related thing was on television but thankfully the volume was muted. The room was modern and very minimalist yet there was still a feeling of warmth to it all. 

That same theme continued to the dining area where she noticed the table was set for two and the large open kitchen had what appeared to be every stainless steel appliance known to man dotted around and a huge granite island. Stephanie slowly wandered over in that direction, her heels echoing on the wood, feeling completely mesmerised by it all. The whole place was absolutely spectacular. She could also detect the heavenly aroma of whatever was in the pan on the stove and it caused her stomach to rumble appreciatively. She was about to sneak a peek when she spotted the dinky Bosch appliance in the corner. She placed her hand on her chest hardly daring to believe that it was what she thought it was. She had seen one of these just last week in one of those celebrity homes articles. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Stephanie opened it and let out a delighted squeal at the bottles neatly stacked in the racks. It was a wine refrigerator. Paul had a special wine refrigerator! God, she'd always wanted one of these in her home and a shoe closet. Maybe he had one of those around too! 

"Can I get you a drink?" 

Stephanie could hardly contain her excitement as she turned to Paul. "You've got a wine refrigerator?" she exclaimed. 

"Yeah." he smiled, his brown eyes narrowing at her somewhat curiously. 

Shit! She had definitely over reacted. Stephanie flashed him a slightly embarrassed smile stepping away and letting the door fall shut as she realised that to Paul a wine refrigerator was no big deal, not in a place like this, not to someone like him. She had to get a grip. She had to act cool. Sniffing in an almost dismissive manner, Stephanie brought her hand up and pretended to check her nails. "Yeah, well they seem to be pretty common these days." 

"I'm sure." 

Stephanie lifted her eyes just in time to see Paul reach into the refrigerator, his jeans stretching perfectly over his ass. She resisted the urge she had to grab it and she wondered if he was wearing any underwear tonight. Wait a second. Where had that thought come from? 

"I suppose I can tempt you with a glass of Chardonnay?" he asked her. 

Feeling a little flustered, she tried her best to be casual as she lifted her shoulder in a shrug. Still, her blue eyes sparkled brightly at him. "I guess I could force myself to have a glass." 

Paul's deep laughter made her smile inside and she leant back against the granite island watching him as he rummaged around in a drawer for a corkscrew. 

"So I met your doorman, Fred." she told him. 

"Fred?" he repeated sounding a little surprised as he placed the sharp metal end in the cork. "You guys are on first name terms already, huh?" 

Stephanie tucked her chestnut strands behind her ear as the cork lifted with a pop. "I thought it only polite to ask him. You never mentioned you had him. A doorman, I mean." 

"Should I have?" he asked, his face faintly flickering with his amusement as he poured her drink 

"Well no but it would have given me an idea what sort of place you had." she said, smiling her thanks as Paul handed her a glass of wine. Her fingers gripped the cool heavy crystal and she was about to take a sip when she felt Paul's lovely warm fingers loosely grip her left hand. 

"Come with me for a second. I want to show you this." he told her, leading her to the windows. Kicking the large cushions out of his path, he placed her directly in front of the glass. 

Stephanie inhaled sharply as she saw the incredible sky view in front of her, the coloured mixtures of lights and buildings stretching out as far as she could see, intermittently hidden in the curtain of white that still continued to fall. "Oh my God! It's absolutely beautiful!" she exclaimed. 

"You like it?" 

"Paul, it's amazing." She turned to him, her face lit up and brightly animated. "I feel like I can see half the world from up here." 

He nodded his head as he stood beside her, the faint scent of his cologne infiltrating her senses and making her head a little giddy. "The view was one of the reasons why I bought this place." he told her. "It's spectacular especially at night time when the whole city is lit up like this." 

Stephanie took a sip of her wine and felt Paul's fingers grip hers once again as he slid open the window. The sharp night air hit her and her blue eyes were startled as she realised he was heading out onto the balcony. 

"What are you doing?" she asked him. 

"I want to show you it from outside. It's even better." 

She swallowed hard, her stomach churning with her anxiety, her wine glass cradled in her hand. "Are you sure this is a good idea? It's probably freezing out there." 

"Don't worry. I'll keep you warm." he winked. 

Paul tugged on her hand and Stephanie took a step forward before panic gripped her and she stubbornly stood her ground halting him in his tracks. "Wait!" she cried, her lips trembling with her forced smile. "Are you sure it's safe out there?" 

"Of course." he smiled reassuringly. 

"Like really sure?" 

His brown eyes narrowed, filling with his concern for her. "Steph, are you okay?" 

"Yeah. I just…" She sighed and licked her dry lips realising she had no option but to explain why she was so reluctant to step outside. She stood there shivering slightly in the cold breeze that blew through the open window. Stray flakes of snow drifted in to the apartment instantly melting against the maple flooring. She briefly glanced at the wine glass in her hand. "Look this is probably going to sound really stupid but I've got a thing about heights, the thing being I pretty much hate them." 

When she allowed herself to look back up, Paul's expression wasn't mocking. It was gentle and understanding as his thumb lightly traced her knuckles, his blonde hair lifting from his shoulders in the wind.

"So why didn't you say so?" 

She shrugged awkwardly shifting her feel below her. "Because you'd probably think I was a freak." she admitted. 

His fabulous grin made her feel weak at the knees. "Yeah but you're my freak." he said. 

A warm glow encompassed her entire being and it wasn't because Paul had just closed the window over shutting the winter out. He'd just told her she was his freak. How lovely and wonderful was that. Well without the freak part of course. 

"I'm going to check on dinner. Why don't you grab a seat over there and make yourself comfortable." he told her. 

Stephanie shook her head. "I can help." 

Paul cast her a dubious glance and that was when she remembered his discovery in her apartment a couple of weeks ago. He'd opened a drawer to look for a box of matches to light her scented candle and found her entire collection of takeout menus. They'd practically spilled out onto the floor in front of him. It had been just the tiniest bit embarrassing to admit that she knew the name of every decent Chinese in the area. 

"I can cook you know." she sniffed, correcting his obvious assumption. "I just choose not to, that's all." 

"Hey, I rarely cook myself except when I have company over." 

As she followed Paul into the kitchen, she wondered how often that was. Not that she keeping tabs on him, not at all. She was no bunny boiler by any means and what Paul did on his own time was up to him. Still, that didn't mean she wasn't curious about the other people in his life. It was only natural after all. This was the man she was in love with, the man she could picture her future with. Surely she could show some sort of interest in his life. Sipping on her wine, she made a mental note to do just that over dinner. Maybe she'd even enquire about that friend he'd casually mentioned just the other day. Samuel. She was sure that was his name. 

Just then the phone started to ring, the shrill tone filling the apartment. Stephanie saw Paul stall and curse under his breath, his hand hovering over the pan on the stove. His brown eyes were apologetic as he turned towards her. 

"Can you do me a favour? Can you watch over this while I answer that call?" he asked. 

"Sure." she smiled. After all how hard could it be plus this was the perfect opportunity to impress Paul with her culinary skills. She placed down her glass on the marble counter as Paul's heavy footsteps carried through the room. 

"You just need to stir but you might need to turn the heat down." he called out to her. 

Stephanie smiled in acknowledgment and picked up the spoon that rested against the edge of the pan. She began to slowly stir the food. It was chopped up strips of chicken and it was marinated in some sort of stuff making it sizzle. Whatever it was, it smelled spicy and gorgeous especially to her ravenous stomach that hadn't seen any form of food since her muffin at lunchtime. As the loud ringing of the phone stopped, she was aware of the deep lull of Paul's voice somewhere in the apartment. She loved his voice. It was deep and smooth and sexy as hell. Tentatively lifting the spoon to her mouth, Stephanie's teeth bit down on the edge and tasted the food. She closed her eyes and chewed, licking her lips appreciatively. This was good. In fact, it was absolutely delicious. 

Stephanie began to stir once more, her eyes drifting across to the window. As she watched the large flakes fall against the glass, she wondered if Paul's friend, Samuel ever came over for dinner. If he did, maybe they could all have dinner together sometime, like a proper dinner party and Paul could introduce her to him. She could just see it now. She would be wearing something stunning and fabulous and Samuel would shake her hand and congratulate her on being the girl who finally ended Paul's single ways. He would then ask them how they met and Paul would explain about that night she sat across from him on the train. Wait a second. Scrub that thought. Samuel would then have to find out she had been upset over a cheating bastard not to mention extremely drunk off her face. That probably wasn't the best first impression to give anyone let alone a friend of her boyfriend. She'd just tell him it was fate that brought them together. Yes. That was it. It was much less degrading and it sounded a lot more romantic too. She reminded herself to put Paul in the picture about that one just in case. 

Just then his deep laughter echoed through the room and Stephanie smiled, wondering who it was that had called him and if the person on the line knew she was standing here waiting to share his evening with him. It was an evening she was so looking forward to as well. Being here in Paul's environment, it felt really nice. For tonight she was a part of his routine although honestly, she knew she could do this forever. There was nowhere else she wanted to be than here with Paul. He was the first man she had ever pictured herself growing old with. Hell, she'd even gone so far as to think about having children with him. She had been watching a documentary on television about babies and birth and suddenly realised that she and Paul would have beautiful babies together, probably having one boy and one girl. They would have cool designer names too, maybe like Dolce and Armani. Armani Levesque. Hmmm, there was a definite ring to that. 

Smiling dreamily, Stephanie slowly became aware of the tickle in the back of her throat. She lifted her hand to stifle her cough and that was when she noticed the burning smell. 

"Shit!" she choked as the smoke billowed out from the pan. She flapped her arms at her sides as she coughed, her stomach churning with panic. Dinner was burning to a cinder and she was powerless to stop it and God, she could hear Paul's voice getting closer. Fuck! He'd told her to turn the heat down and she'd completely forgotten to do it. How was she supposed to impress him now? She'd been too busy thinking about babies and now he was going to think she was a complete moron. Her eyes darting furiously around her, Stephanie spotted the glass of water on the counter. It must have been Paul's. Grabbing it, she quickly poured it in an attempt to douse the smoke. A terrified scream escaped from her throat as a huge blue flame rose sparking angrily at her. Putting down the empty glass, she heard the ringing of the crystal and realised her mistake. In her distress she'd only gone and thrown the damn wine instead. Stephanie quickly moved the pan to the opposite side of the stove and staggered back, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. That was when her heart leapt into her mouth as the smoke alarm began to beep loudly above her. 

"Jesus Christ!" she cried as she placed her hand over her chest. She could feel the hammering against her ribcage. She frantically searched around the kitchen for a dishcloth and finding one by the bread bin, she scrambled up onto the granite island balancing on her knees as she snapped the black and white checked material at the alarm, desperately attempting to wave the smoke away from its direction. 

"Steph, are you alright?" 

She nodded her head at the sound of Paul's voice, not daring to look at him as her cheeks flushed with her embarrassment. She heard him slide open the window letting in the fresh air and felt the bitterness of the cold through the linen material of her top but even that couldn't quell the heat that burned in her face. She'd royally screwed up. She silently willed for the smoke alarm to shut the hell up. It was proof of her own stupidity and now she'd ruined everything. 

Miraculously enough, within a matter of seconds the beeping stopped and Stephanie remained kneeling on the island as she listened to the window closing once more. She rubbed her sweaty palms on the thighs of her jeans. It was only when she felt him standing before her and inhaled his fresh, clean smell that she finally allowed herself to look at Paul. 

"I'm so sorry." she cried, her face crumpling with her dismay. She could only wonder what on earth she'd done to deserve a guy like Paul when he simply smiled, his arm reaching out and rubbing her arm affectionately. 

"Hey, it's okay. It's not a big deal." 

"But I burned dinner and all I had to do was stir the damn stuff. Some wife I'm going to make." 

Paul stood there, his lips twitching at the corners and his brown eyes smiling at her. The heat intensified in Stephanie's cheeks as she realised what she had just blurted out. Now he was going to think she thought about marrying him. And okay, she did from time to time but she didn't need him to know that or how pretty her first name looked written down beside his last one. Clearing her throat, she quickly corrected herself.

"Not that I'm planning to be somebody's wife." she explained as she smiled awkwardly at him. "I mean…God, I never even think about it, that's how non-existent my marriage plans are." She glanced away as she shifted herself around on the granite top and stretching her legs out swinging them over the edge, she carefully dropped to the floor. 

"Well, that's a shame." 

Stephanie swallowed thickly, slowly shaking her head as she watched Paul approach her leaning his hip against the counter as he stood beside her. "Why? What do you mean?" she asked him, her chest fluttering ever so faintly. 

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I just think you'd make someone a great wife someday, that's all." He paused as his face lit up with his grin. "Life certainly wouldn't be dull, that's for sure. I just hope they can afford the insurance premium." 

"Watch it Levesque." she retorted playfully hitting his arm as he slid them around her waist, his nose crinkling with his smile. She wondered if he had any idea what she would give to become his wife because right now, her love for Paul was hitting her with such force, she was struggling to breathe here. She didn't know what it was. She just felt overwhelmed by her feelings for him and unable to resist touching him, Stephanie reached up and pushed back the soft blonde strands that fell across his cheek, tenderly tucking them behind his left ear. 

"Seriously though Steph, any guy that gets to marry you, well I reckon he'd be extremely fortunate to share his life with a girl like you." 

Stephanie's throat went dry once more as Paul's eyes settled on hers, his brown depths soft and warm. 

"Of course it would probably be a huge benefit to him if he owned his own restaurant or something or was a chef." 

Stephanie's face flickered with her smile as Paul's big hands rubbed delicious circles on her back. "Someone seems to think he's being extremely funny tonight." 

He grinned. "Oh I try." 

"I really am sorry about dinner, you know." she blurted, once more hit with a wave of guilt at ruining Paul's efforts to cook dinner for her. No one had ever cooked her dinner before. No one had ever cared about her the way Paul did or at least the way she hoped he did. 

As if sensing her doubt, he lightly stroked her cheek as he looked at her tenderly and Stephanie felt a catch in her heart. He did care about her. She could feel it. She could see it in those incredible eyes. 

"Well to show there are no hard feelings, I'm still going to give you your gift." he smiled. "Wait there a second." 

He broke their embrace and Stephanie felt cold without his warmth. She hugged her arms around herself and wondered what her gift was. Her gift for Paul was at home sitting wrapped under her tree. They'd already arranged for him to drop by and collect it tomorrow morning during the early hours of Christmas Eve before he travelled to his parents' home two hours from here. Apparently he spent every Christmas there and he wouldn't be back until just before New Years and Stephanie felt a little sad, knowing she would miss him desperately. It was funny how quickly he had filled up her life. 

"Here you go." 

Her blue eyes lit up with excitement as Paul handed her a beautifully wrapped parcel, the red and silver paper perfectly finished off with a neatly tied bow. Her tongue poked out between her teeth with glee as she placed it down on the island and carefully started to unwrap it, taking her time and savouring the moment. She let out a cry of delight as she saw the Fendi logo on the lid of the box and pulling back the pale pink tissue paper, she saw it. The cute little handbag she had so desperately wanted with the diamonte encrusted straps. She lifted it out, wrapping her hands around it, savouring the feel of it in her hands, inhaling the sharp scent of the new leather. She couldn't believe Paul had bought this for her. It was so amazing of him. She looked up at him still in a haze of total delight. "Paul, you shouldn't have. How did you know this was the one?" 

Paul grimaced slightly, lifting his shoulder in an embarrassed shrug. "I have to confess I had a little help." 

"Claire." stated Stephanie knowingly as she placed the bag lovingly back in the box. She allowed herself to stare at it for a second longer, her finger fondly tracing the gold snap before looking up to see Paul grinning at her. 

"How did you guess?" 

She grinned back and crossed the short distance between them wrapping her arms around his neck. 

"Thank you so much." she said, her lips brushing over his, causing her stomach to flip-flop. As she went to kiss him a second time, she felt Paul pull back. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. 

"There's another gift there to open too." 

Stephanie's mouth parted feeling more than stunned. He'd gotten her more than enough already. As she glanced back at the island, she saw the small square box wrapped in the same red and silver paper. "Paul." she scolded not sure what else to say. She was completely taken aback by his generosity. 

"Open it." he encouraged her. "And this one I got all by myself." 

Stephanie laughed as she picked the gift up. She admired the delicate ribbon for a moment before her fingers gently peeled the paper away to reveal the blue velvet box underneath. Stephanie recognised it straight away. It was Tiffany box. Oh my God! Tiffany. Paul had bought her jewellery. Stephanie's heart was fluttering madly with her excitement as she snapped open the box, her breath hitching in her throat as she saw the beautiful white gold bracelet in front of her. Six tiny five pointed diamond encrusted stars hung prettily from the slim chain. 

"Paul, it's just.…." she faltered, her voice wobbling with her emotion. Her fingers trembled lightly as she removed it from the box, the overhead spotlights catching the diamonds causing a rainbow of colours to glitter and sparkle. 

"It's a charm bracelet." he explained, his voice slightly startling her as Stephanie realised he was now standing next to her. Paul delicately removed it from her fingers taking her slender wrist in his other hand and pushing up her sleeve, he placed the jewellery around it. "Do you know that back in the olden days, even as far back as Ancient Egypt, people would wear charms to ward off evil spirits and bad luck." 

Stephanie smiled tenderly, realising the sentiment behind the gift. Paul wanted to change her luck. Little did he realise her luck had already changed for the better the minute she had looked up on that train and saw him sitting there. If she closed her eyes now, she would still see his face, his amazing brown eyes looking at her with genuine concern. He had been her handsome stranger now he had become her everything. 

"My sister has one of these bracelets." he smiled as he fastened the clip. "She told me the story behind it one time. I guess it just stuck in my head." His hand still gently gripped her wrist and Stephanie reached for him, letting her fingers lightly trace the smooth skin. 

"Thank you. It's really beautiful." she whispered. 

"You're beautiful. Merry Christmas, Steph." 

"Merry Christmas Paul." she replied knowing this would be the first one of all the other Christmases they would share together. Paul was the rest of her life. She knew it, she felt it and more than that, she believed in it. Now she just had to make sure nothing in the world spoiled it.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Stephanie tried to muster up an approving smile for the seamstress. Inwardly she cursed her under her breath as yet another pin was inserted into the bodice of the sleek green gown. Her feet shifted underneath her on the small platform as she wondered how much longer this fitting was going to take. She felt like some damn voodoo doll with all these pins sticking out of her and her whole body was becoming extremely stiff after standing in the same position for almost forty minutes. Then there was the fact she was absolutely famished and she could feel her stomach wanting to rumble out loud in protest. She stupidly hadn't thought to grab a sandwich before coming here and at the rate this old biddy was going she'd be lucky to make it out of the store in time for dinner. She wished she'd just hurry up and finish the alterations so she could get out of this bloody thing. The bodice was so tight it was in danger of cutting off her circulation and she had a million and one things to do this afternoon before she could even think of leaving the office.

Then of course there was the stupid team meeting she had to attend. Nick had sent an e-mail this morning announcing that he would be introducing the new member of staff, the girl who would be joining them next week; Paul new personal assistant. She was sure he said her name was Sam or Sammy or something along those lines. Whatever it was, it didn't matter as long as Sam or Sammy realised that her role was strictly business and that "personal" wasn't preceded by the words "up close and" in the job description. Not that she was a jealous person. She really wasn't. She was just making things clear; that was all. Because let's face facts, if this girl had a pulse and eyes in her head, she was going to notice how drop-dead gorgeous Paul was. She was going to notice how his brown eyes sparkled when he smiled and how that smile made your lips instantly lift and beam right back at him no matter how foul your mood. Then there was his voice; the deep husky tone that practically had you melting right into this huge big glob of goo every time he called. And the way he smelled. Sweet Jesus, the man smelled absolutely delicious. Every time she sat in his office, she found herself just wanting to breathe him in or even being tempted to nibble away at that lovely thick neck of his. He was just so damn intoxicating. Too intoxicating actually especially considering the fact it would no longer be her sitting with Paul alone in his office. It would be Sam or Sammy or whatever her stupid name was. She would be the one sitting in close proximity which didn't make for the best situation at all. Not for her. Maybe she should suggest to Paul that he keep his window open at all times to try and conceal his scent. Better yet she could suggest that no longer wore his cologne to work. Maybe she could tell him that Sam or Sammy had an allergic reaction to it and the simple of whiff of it could result in a nasty case of hives. Of course he would oblige thinking she was just being a concerned and helpful girlfriend and besides Sam or Sammy could have an allergy for all she knew. It was always a possibility and as her mother had always told her growing up, it was better to try and err on the side of caution and her mother was an extremely intelligent woman. It would be stupid not to listen to her advice and forewarn Paul in advance.

Stephanie licked her lips as her bored blue eyes travelled across the room. That was when she spotted her reflection in the tall gilt framed mirror. She frowned as her finger lifted to prod and push down the top of her breast that was now protruding out far too provocatively for her liking. She was supposed to be a bridesmaid for Christ sakes not some wanton hussy with her rack on full view and in front of a Catholic priest nonetheless. He'd have her whipped inside that confession booth faster than Claire could even say the words "I do." She would have to say something about this to Miss Go Slow here but the trouble was she wasn't so sure she wanted to. Not today anyway. God knows she had been standing here long enough as it was. She wasn't about to subject herself to even further torture plus she should probably be getting back to the office to be in plenty time for that meeting. She'd already been late getting into work this morning when she'd slept in and missed her usual train. She didn't want to give Nick any more ammunition to have a pop at her. He really did think he was the shit when Paul wasn't around. Lifting her wrist, Stephanie checked her watch and let out a panicked gasp.

"Dammit, is that really the time? I need to go." she said.

Before the seamstress could even form a protest, Stephanie stepped down from the platform. Her mouth parted in total horror as she heard a loud ripping sound and her blue eyes went wide like a deer stuck in headlights as she saw her reflection in the four different mirrors surrounding her; the four different mirrors that told the exact same story. She'd ripped the dress. In fact she was sure she had ruined it judging by the gaping big hole where her knee was now poking through. Shit! What had she done?

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry." she cried, her blue eyes wide mirroring her spoken apology to the seamstress, Mabel.

"Let me get the zipper." snapped the grey haired lady in disdain.

Stephanie grimaced as she felt her tug at it sharply. Her eyes looked everywhere but at Mabel as she wrapped her arm around the bodice of the dress and scurried off in the direction of the changing room.

Five minutes later she practically ran onto the escalator desperate to get out of there before Mabel chased after her with her army of pins. Her heart was still racing when she stepped off on the ground floor loosely wrapping her Donna Karan scarf around her neck in preparation for the chilly conditions outside. It was sub-zero temperatures and the bitter wind pinched her cheeks as she stepped outside onto the street. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Stephanie crossed the traffic congested road weaving in and out of the stationary vehicles stuck at the red light. She stopped and smiled at the hot drinks vendor on the corner as she purchased a cup of hot chocolate, her substitute for her missed lunch and continued her journey to the office, her wide blue eyes admiring the brightly lit Christmas displays in the windows of the stores that lined the street. It wasn't until she turned the corner that she heard the muffled ringing coming from her bag. She switched the paper cup to her other hand and reached inside to retrieve her phone. A rush of giddy excitement washed through her as she flipped it open and saw the name scrolled across the screen. Paul. Placing her bag back on her shoulder, she grinned. "Hello?" 

"Hey there beautiful. How's your day?"

"Much better now I've heard from you." she said as she began to meander towards her office building, sipping at her drink and taking her time not wanting anything to cut short their conversation and that included nosy work colleagues. She really needed the calm that only he could bring her and the sound of his deep, sexy tone would make this day not completely blow for her. 

"Flattery will get you everywhere, you know." he teased and Stephanie smiled dreamily as she heard the laughter in his voice and envisioned that incredible infectious grin of his. The same grin he had flashed at her before he had left her waving to him on her doorstep just seven days ago although to her it had felt more like an agonising lifetime. The only thing that had kept her sane had been his phone calls to her and thankfully he had called her constantly, sometimes even as much as three or four times in one day. It gave her hope that Paul was missing her every bit as much as she was missing him and God, was she missing him. Every night she dreamed of him, imagining she was lying next to him as she hugged the fading scent of him on her pillowcase; the pillowcase that still remained unwashed from the last time he had slept there unable to rid herself of any memory of him. She just wished he would hurry up and come home to her.

"So what are you up to?" he asked her.

"I'm just on my way back to the office. I've been for my dress fitting this afternoon."

"That's right. You mentioned that yesterday. How did it go?"

She winced as her hair whipped behind her in the wind. "It didn't. I ripped the living shit out of it."

"You what?"

"It's not funny, Paul." she scolded as she heard his amused chuckle. "I ruined the dress. Claire is going to kill me when she finds out. Thank God she's on vacation because I don't know if I could face her right now."

"Look, try not to worry about it, okay? I'm sure the store can fix it for you."

She sighed heavily and her breath appeared before her in a smoke-like trail of vapour. "I hope so. The seamstress was definitely less than impressed when I handed it back though."

"She's probably just pissed at having to work in the holidays."

Stephanie frowned. "Well she's not the only one."

"Then next year you'll just have to come on vacation with me."

A slow smile crept across her face to hear him talking about something that included the future; their future together. A future she wanted more than anything else in the world. As she shifted her phone over her ear, her blue eyes briefly glanced at the six delicate diamond stars that dangled over the edge of her cuff. It was her charm bracelet and she'd never taken it off from the moment Paul had fastened it around her wrist. Every time she looked at it, she was stunned by its beauty and its sentiment. Paul's gift had been so generous and extremely thoughtful much like the man who had given it to her. Stephanie sighed once more as the now familiar pang in her chest reminded her of how much she physically ached for him. "Paul, when are you coming home?" she asked him.

"Why? Have you been missing me?"

His playful tone made her smile in spite of longing for him. "Yes. Not that you deserve to hear such things. Not when I still don't know if you'll back for New Years which means I'll be spending it all alone. And that's not something you should do you know is spend New Years alone."

"It's not?"

"Nuh uh." she said as she stopped at the bottom of the concrete steps to the building and quickly glanced at the rotating glass doors that were motionless for the moment. "It's one of the fundamental rules in life. It ranks up there with love your neighbour and screw your pool boy."

As Paul's amused snort echoed down the line, Stephanie quickly realised what she had just blurted out. The heat rushed to her cheeks despite the total numbness in her face as her hand shifted its grip around her paper cup and she silently cursed at herself.

"Not that I even have a pool boy and even if I did, I definitely wouldn't screw him." she hastily explained. "I mean, there are obviously people out there who do but not me. Never. No way."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. And as much as I would love to continue this line of conversation with you, I really need to go right now. Can we talk later?"

Stephanie nodded her head momentarily forgetting Paul couldn't see her at the other end. "You can count on it." she added.

"I'm sorry baby."

"It's okay. I should probably be back at my desk anyway." Stephanie paused and carefully angled her drink as she peered at her watch. Her blue eyes immediately went wide. "Shit! I'm so late. Nick is going to kill me."

Panicked, she bounded up the steps as they quickly exchanged their goodbyes. She stuffed her phone in the pocket of her wool coat as her shoulder nudged the door round and she rushed into the foyer. Her face tingled with the warmth as she silently began to pray Nick was tied up in a meeting or something or better yet, just tied up period.

"Damn it!"

Stephanie winced as she felt herself collide with someone. She tentatively lifted her head. A brunette was in front of her staring down at herself. Her wince turned into a grimace as she saw the remainder of her hot chocolate now splattered on her pristine beige jacket. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

Her hand reached into her pocket rummaging around for the tissue she knew she had there somewhere. The woman still appeared to be in a state of shock as she simply stood there looking down in a state of disbelief.

"Here. Let me try and clean it up." she offered. As Stephanie reached towards the jacket with the newly discovered tissue, the woman flinched away sharply. Her blue eyes were frosty as they glared back at her.

"Don't even bother. It's ruined now." she said.

Stephanie winced guiltily once more as she looked at the soiled garment. She could tell it was expensive and definitely no Walmart purchase. "I'm really sorry. I didn't see you coming." she explained.

"Evidently." the brunette snapped glowering at her before marching off in the direction of the ground floor bathrooms.

Stephanie shook her head in annoyance as she began to ascend the wide staircase, her heels echoing against the freshly washed marble. That woman clearly had an attitude problem and quite frankly was a total bitch. Anyone would think she'd gone and spilled her drink on her on purpose. She now regretted her attempts at trying to apologise to her and even having the thought of offering to pay for her dry cleaning bill. The bitch could swing for the money as far as she was concerned. Someone also needed to remind her it was supposed to be the season of goodwill too. Maybe then she wouldn't be so downright rude and nasty to people or better yet she should ask Father Christmas to give her a personality transplant in her stocking next year.

Briefly wondering who she was, Stephanie quickly made her way to her cubicle dumping the offending cup in the nearest trash can. As she smiled a greeting at Violet who not surprisingly was on the phone, she glanced around the skeleton staffed office scouring for Nick. Thankfully there was no sign of him at the moment. As she slid her scarf from around her neck, she even dared to hope he hadn't even noticed she was late.

"Stephanie!"

She rolled her eyes dryly as she heard his thick bark behind her realising that had obviously been way too much to hope for. Her shoulders slumped as she turned to face him, her red wool scarf dangling from her fingertips as his grey eyes peered at her through his blue rimmed spectacles, the navy colour matching the sailboats on his ridiculously patterned shirt. She would have laughed out loud at his appearance if she wasn't already in hot water with him. Instead the corner of her lips briefly lifted in an apologetic smile. "Look, I'm sorry I'm late. I just…."

Nick lifted his hand effectively stopping her. As his left arm rested on the top of the wall of her cubicle, his expression appeared warm and even friendly surprising and making her a little suspicious all at the same time. "It's okay. Paul's already called me and explained."

Her brow crinkled as she watched him carefully. Okay, now she really was confused. "Paul called here?"

He nodded. "Just a minute ago, actually. Something about some last minute glitch with the Adams account that he needed you to take care of in his absence."

Stephanie resisted the urge to laugh out loud as her chilled fingers began to unfasten the big buttons on her coat. Nick didn't have a clue that the Adams account didn't actually exist and was Paul's old secret code; a code he had told her about and occasionally used to summon her into his office. Of course those summons had very little to do with business at all and were definitely more pleasure orientated although that pleasure would now be limited with the new girl on the scene. Stephanie sighed as she pressed her lips together sadly. But how amazing was he for picking up for her like that. The man was a total sweetheart.

"It's funny though." continued Nick as he scratched at his receding hair line. "I've never heard of this guy Adams before. Is he new?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a convincing casual shrug as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Relatively new, I guess."

"Hmmm." He rolled his lips together thoughtfully as she removed her coat. "Anyway, what I wanted to ask was can you be in the boardroom in five minutes?"

"Sure." she nodded.

As Nick smiled his thanks, she looked at her desk and tried to mentally prioritise the files and the paper sitting there calculating if she would actually make it out of the office any time in the next millennium. She wearily rubbed at her forehead and ignoring the empty growl in the pit of her stomach, she picked up a folder as she sat down on her chair. She tried to concentrate pushing all thoughts of chocolate from her head and ended up so absorbed in the outline of the promotion she was looking over that she failed to notice the fact that everyone else was now assembled in the boardroom. It was only when someone coughed out loud that it got her attention and she quickly rose from her seat silently cursing under her breath as she slipped in the open door.

By the time she got there, she found the room was crowded with people. Stephanie edged in at the back and squeezed beside two men from other departments; one she recognised as that perverted technician; the one who had the infatuation with Claire a couple of months back and some other guy who she had never seen before in her life. She noticed he smelled strange as she peered towards the top of the room decorated by the large glass window. The smell coming off him was like stale garlic or something similarly disgusting. Stephanie resisted the urge to gag as she noticed that neither of the guys seemed particularly interested in the new member of staff as they discussed some football match or other.

Rolling her eyes, she craned her neck trying to see if she could peer over the stale guy's shoulder. She couldn't see Nick but she could hear him as he began to thank everybody for coming along. He also made his apologies for Paul who was obviously still on vacation. She felt her cheeks flush with heat hearing his name spoken out loud and she discreetly glanced down at the plush pale green carpet trying her best to act cool, calm and collected. People had only just stopped talking after witnessing the kiss they had shared underneath the mistletoe at the Christmas party. The last thing she needed was to encourage any more rumours although she often wondered what everyone would say if they knew just how close she and Paul had gotten; that he was her boyfriend and not only that, her lover and that she knew he had two cute freckles on the inside of his right thigh; that she'd kissed those very freckles right before her mouth had….well, let's just say they didn't need to know about that anyway. After all, a girl needed to have some secrets and it was called a private life for a reason. But the article in Cosmopolitan had been absolutely spot-on because Paul had definitely liked it when she had used her tongue to.…

"Hey."

Stephanie scowled as she felt the elbow nudge her in her side. She lifted her eyes glaring at the stale guy who was looking at her inquisitively.

"Are you Stephanie?" he hissed at her.

She nodded wondering what concern it was of his anyway. And how the hell did he know her name?

"Well the guy is calling your name. You might want to answer him."

The guy? Shit! He obviously meant Nick. Stephanie forced a smile as she poked her head out between the two men and raised her hand up in the air catching his attention.

"There you are!" Nick sighed. "Can you come up here a second while I introduce you to Samia?"

She nodded as she excused herself to the front of the room sensing everyone's eyes were on her as she made her way up towards where Nick was standing. Of course he had to go and make a damn show of her and why the hell did she need a personal introduction anyway? She knew who this person was. She was the woman who was coming here to take her place and it didn't matter that her role had only ever been temporary anyway. After all, it was the principle of the thing.

As she got past the large oak table, the low winter sun reflected through the glass momentarily blinding her as she felt his hand on the bottom of her back guiding her over to the vacant floor space beside the display chart.

"Stephanie, I'd like you to meet Paul's new personal assistant, Samia Beardmore."

Stephanie squinted as she forced a smile sticking her hand out in the general direction of where Nick had gestured to. The sun still glared directly in front of her and she silently wondered why the hell no one had thought to lower the blinds. As her feet shuffled round to block out the white blinding rays, the new girl's face slowly came into focus for her. Her stomach immediately dropped as she recognised the icy blue eyes staring back at her. It was her; the rude girl from the stairs. The girl she had spilled her hot chocolate over although she no longer wore the stained jacket and was dressed in a simple black blouse and skirt. Stephanie didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Of course it would have had to be her especially with her damn luck.

"Oh, we've already met." said Samia, her top lip almost curling into a snarl as she briefly took the hand offered to her. Her hand was almost as cold as her stare and as she turned to smile sweetly at Nick, her sleek bob swished around her neck in one perfect motion. "This is the girl I was telling you about."

Nick's grey eyes went wide behind his glasses. "It was you?" he asked as he turned in her direction.

Stephanie felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as his shoulders began to shake with his laughter.

"Why the hell should I not surprised?" His tone appeared almost condescending as he guided Samia off to the side and proceeded to talk about her like she was some troublesome child that he had to give an explanation for. "You'll have to excuse Stephanie." he told her. "She's what you would you would call extremely accident prone and it's not the first time she's spilled a drink on someone. Hell, I've been a victim a couple of times myself."

He then began to introduce her to Violet who flashed a look of sympathy over his shoulder. Stephanie decided that was her cue to get the hell out of there ignoring the amused looks as she followed stale guy and his friend out of the boardroom. She also tried to ignore the growing uneasiness she was beginning to feel at Samia's appointment. She definitely had a bad feeling about her and the last thing she needed was another bitch in the office especially when there was someone like Mandy already around the place. And boy would the Mouth would be pissed she had missed the official introduction being that she was on vacation too. God, the whole world was on vacation except her and Nick and fucking Samia Beardmore. Or was that Bitch-ho?

Stephanie smirked to herself as she made her way back to her desk her spirits lifted by her own little private joke. She made a mental note to remember to share it with Claire and as her fingers lightly toyed with her bracelet, she glanced down at the small diamonds lightly shaking her head. "Some good luck charm you're proving to be." she muttered.

But a small smile traced her lips as she picked up the open manila folder and her new colleague was the furthest thing from her mind and she busied herself in work for the next few hours with Nick thankfully having the good grace to stay completely out of her path. The next thing she knew she had looked up to find that it was pitch black outside and the blissful stillness in the office signalled that everyone else had already gone home. Shutting off her computer, Stephanie glanced up at the clock surprised to see that it was almost seven thirty. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she let out a tired yawn and swivelled round in her chair. As her stomach rumbled, her mind wandered to dinner and the growing pile of laundry in her bedroom as she pulled on her coat and scarf flicking her brown strands over the collar. She began to rummage in her handbag for her phone as she made her way towards the dimly lit hallway. Her heels echoed eerily in the silence as she approached the grand marble staircase, her heart immediately leaping to her throat when his soft tone completely startled her.

"Trying to impress the boss, McMahon?"

Stephanie placed her hand to her chest as she stared at Paul in total wonderment, her blue eyes hungrily drinking him as the blood beat loudly in her ears. She honestly couldn't believe he was standing there in front of her. He hadn't mentioned anything about travelling home today when she had talked to him but she definitely wasn't going to complain about his lack of communication. This was just the perfect surprise and made her forget every single crappy thing that had happened to her today. God, she had needed him so much and of course, Paul had sensed that being that their minds were in perfect harmony with one another. Even that quiz in the magazine had agreed with her much to Paul's amusement when she had read out the results to him.

Just then he grinned at her widely causing her chest to flutter madly as his big hand lifted to rake his long fingers through his hair. He tugged on the hem of a blue cotton shirt that she had never seen before that he wore underneath his leather coat and he had on a pair of faded denim jeans that moulded just perfectly to his muscular thighs and in that moment, she swore she had never seen anything so beautiful. Somehow finding her voice, she descended the top step to stand in front of him.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked him as she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a tight hug and breathing him in. As she looked up at him, she felt her earlier troubles wash away as his big brown eyes sparkled back at her, his fingers reaching up to tenderly brush back her hair as his right arm slid firmly around her waist.

"Well see this gorgeous girl told me something today. She told me that you shouldn't ever spend New Years alone so I was kind of hoping that she didn't have plans already and I could persuade her that we could spend it together somewhere. What do you think?"

Her heart flipped in her chest as she grinned back at him. "I think the odds could be very much in your favour."

"Good because I have to admit I was a little worried that she might have been too busy screwing her pool boy to have any time for me."

Stephanie laughed as she quickly shook her head. "Nah. Her aspirations are way higher than that. In fact she's more interested in screwing her boss instead."

"Then her boss is one very lucky guy!" replied Paul, wiggling his eyebrows and making her giggle. As he pulled her closer, he dropped a kiss on her shoulder and Stephanie sighed with contentment as she inhaled the clean scent of his hair, the soft strands tickling her face.

"God Paul, I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much."

His expression was gentle as he lifted his head back up. "I've missed you too."

"Really?"

"Really." he smiled as he playfully tapped her nose. "I don't think I realised just how dull things were without you around."

For some reason, his words deflated her spirits reminding her of how cursed her little life was and her lips down turned into a frown as she tilted her head briefly glancing at the staircase. "That's me, never a dull moment." she murmured. She was forced to look back up as Paul's finger tucked underneath her chin bringing her blue eyes to meet his concerned brown ones.

"Hey, what's up?"

Stephanie sighed as she lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "Nothing really. I guess I'm just sick fed up of being the walking disaster around here. Do you know I spilled my hot chocolate all over your new PA today?"

"Well, that's certainly a new way to introduce yourself to people." he grinned.

"It's not funny, Paul. She was really nasty about it and I'm pretty sure she hates my guts already even though I tried my best to apologise to her."

"Then screw her and don't worry about it."

Stephanie's lips curved into a smile. "You reckon?"

Paul nodded. "Just forget about her. She's not important right now but what is important is you and where you want me to take you for dinner tonight."

Stephanie immediately felt her heart soar at the thought of spending the evening with him.

"Unless of course, you have other plans."

She shook her head. "None at all but you do know I'll have to go home and get changed first."

He rolled his eyes as he groaned dramatically. "As long as you promise no fights with any sort of hair appliance or anything that resembles a tub of hot wax."

Stephanie laughed. "I promise."

"Good."

Her eyes fluttered closed as he leant in to kiss her but they suddenly popped open again as she pressed her fingertips against his soft, moist lips stopping them from meeting hers. "Wait!"

Paul's brown eyes narrowed curiously in her direction. "What? There's no-one around to see us, you know."

"I know but we're standing on the top of stairs." she stressed, her blue orbs staring back at him widely.

The left corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk as his fingers brushed through the ends of her hair. "Oh I get it. You're scared you're going to get dizzy from one of my intoxicating kisses and pass out all the way to the bottom."

Stephanie's lips twitched with her amusement. "No. That's not it at all."

"Then you're scared you're going to trip and break your neck in those ridiculous heels

you're wearing?"

"That's not it either. It's just that it's bad luck that's all."

Paul's nose crinkled with his confusion. "What's bad luck?"

"Us being here and standing on the stairs together."

"It is?"

Stephanie nodded. "I read it in this article just the other day. It said that couples who want their relationship to run smoothly should avoid meeting each other on the stairs. And kissing and hugging was a definite no-no too."

He licked his lips and pressed them together. "And what article was this exactly?"

"It was one in this week's Cosmopolitan."

"Of course it was because Cosmopolitan has the answers to all of life's important questions."

Stephanie playfully slapped his arm hearing the obvious sarcasm in his tone. Paul was constantly teasing her about what he claimed was her magazine addiction and would occasionally mock her for how seriously she took them at times but little did he know just how useful those articles proved to be. After all, he was the one who had reaped the benefits of some guy's tips on favourite mattress moves and she had yet to demonstrate the favourite couch clinch of the week. Maybe if he was lucky, she would show him later on back at her apartment. But that thought was momentarily pushed from her mind when she let out a surprised scream as Paul lifted her up and began to carry her back to the top of the staircase.

"Paul, what are you doing?" she cried as her arm gripped him around his neck for support watching his big hand hit at the big square button on the wall.

"I'm avoiding the stairs." he explained matter of factly as his lips softly brushed over hers silencing her giggle as he carried her inside the elevator.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Stephanie's cheeks were flushed bright red. Her lips pressed tightly together with her exertion as her fingers held a tight grip of the metal handle and she dragged her luggage through the front hall. Making a mental check through of all the things she had packed inside, she thanked God that she'd had the foresight to buy the bigger size of suitcase. Anything smaller than this one and she would have never been able to squeeze in all the stuff she needed for their trip. And besides, this one was much funkier anyway with the cute pink and white polka-dot pattern. It was practically identical to the one she had seen listed in Cosmo's "must-haves" and that made paying the extra sixty dollars or so much more worthwhile. She could also imagine the faces of the people at the hotel when she walked through the lobby pulling this behind her. They would be filled with admiration not to mention totally green with envy. After all, that famous L'Oreal model woman had one just like it in her magazine the other week.

"What are you doing? I told you I'd take it to the car."

Her arm cried with relief as Paul took the luggage from her and she smiled at him gratefully. It appeared as light as a feather with his big strong arm lifting it up and his brow crinkling all cutely as he glanced at the suitcase. It seemed even he was impressed by her choice of luggage.

"Um Steph, I did tell you we're only staying in the hotel overnight."

"Uh huh." she replied as she tucked a loose brown strand behind her ear and pulled on her red wool coat. "That's why I packed light." she said flicking her hair over the collar.

"This is light?"

"Yes. I only really packed the essentials."

"And those essentials, they included half of your wardrobe?"

Her blue eyes narrowed in his direction seeing the playful smirk on his face. "It's not that heavy." she snorted.

"Try telling that to my back. It's straining under the weight of this thing."

Rolling her eyes, Stephanie followed him out of the door pulling it shut behind her. Double checking it was locked, she felt the bubbles form in the pit of her stomach knowing this was it; the start of her and Paul's first overnight trip together. Quite honestly, when he had suggested staying at a hotel for New Years she had been completely blown away and so excited. After all, this was their first proper vacation as a couple and a huge landmark in their blossoming relationship. Wait a second. Their relationship! She was in a relationship; a real proper grownup relationship with Paul. Oh my God!

Clenching her teeth together to stifle her excited squeal, Stephanie bounced on the soles of her feet as she watched Paul placed her case in the trunk of his Escalade. God, he lifted it with such ease too with those big muscular, sexy arms of his. And to think she would be lying wrapped in those arms tonight. Suddenly eager to get their little vacation started as soon as possible, Stephanie opened the door and climbed in the leather seat placing her Fendi purse on the floor. It was her favourite accessory especially as Paul had given it to her and she just loved the diamonte encrusted straps.

"Em, Steph the passenger door is on the other side."

She nodded her head as she adjusted the seat forward. Paul's long legs meant the pedals were miles away and she couldn't reach. "I know but can I drive? Please?"

Turning her head, she batted her big blue eyes at him noticing the look of trepidation on his handsome face.

"And it is only to take the pressure off you. I mean, you just drove back from your parents' house last night. You really shouldn't be driving so much in a twenty four hour period. It can be dangerous."

Seeing him ponder over that thought, Stephanie silently congratulated herself on her quick thinking not to mention the fact she came across as a caring and considerate girlfriend.

"But can you drive?" he asked her as he raked his fingers through his hair. God, she loved it when he did that.

"Of course I can." she replied confidently.

"In those things?"

Stephanie saw his finger point in the direction of her high heeled boots and she rolled her eyes dryly. Okay, they were a little high for driving but admitting that to Paul would be like conceding defeat. Plus she really wanted to drive his car. It was a thing that proper couples did; they drove one another's cars and shared the load and they were a proper couple after all. Not to mention the fact his car was totally cool and she was desperate to get behind the wheel.

Sniffing lightly, Stephanie flicked her hair across her shoulders and smiled sweetly. "Actually, they are my driving boots."

She saw the flicker of amusement on Paul's face as he leant against the door frame.

"Driving boots?"

Stephanie nodded as she held her palm out towards him. Driving boots; riding boots. They were all one and the same surely.

"Well if you're sure." he replied handing her the keys.

"I'm sure."

Paul closed the door over and as he walked round to the other side, Stephanie glanced round the steering column looking for the ignition. She let out a triumphant cry as she found it and sliding the key inside, she started the engine just as Paul got in beside her. The roar it gave was just awesome and as she selected her gear, the car gave a tiny screech as she carefully steered out onto the road.

"Are you okay?"

Nodding her head, Stephanie's fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel and her brow furrowed in concentration. God, this thing was really powerful and she was really going to have to keep an eye on her speed. Still, the car was amazing and the dash was so pretty with the cool white dials and everything. Just wait until she told Libby and Claire about this. Even Claire didn't get to drive Pete's car or so she said. She still wasn't completely convinced Pete existed in the first place. It had been months now and she still hadn't met the guy plus the picture Claire had e-mailed her looked like some photo-fit for America's Most Dangerous and Wanted.

"Em Steph, maybe you could try going a little faster? Like say twenty miles an hour."

She kept her eyes focused on the road as she shook her head. "Are you crazy? Do you know how many accidents there are on the roads every year and most of them speed related too. I mean you have seen that commercial where the young boy steps out in the road and the car hits him because the driver is going too fast. Well I'm not going to be that driver."

Just then a horn caught her attention and Stephanie briefly glanced out her window. "Oh look, that guy is waving at us."

But as she looked round once more, her blue eyes went wide when she saw the middle finger against the glass before the car in question pulled out and passed by.

"Did he just flip me off? Paul, that jerk flipped me off." she gasped.

"Well maybe if you put the foot down on the gas, we could catch him and I'll punch him out for you."

Hearing another horn behind her, Stephanie grimaced slightly and checking her mirror to see the coast was clear, she indicated and pulled over to the side.

"What are you doing?" asked Paul.

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug as she unclipped her harness. "You can drive now. I've done my bit."

His brown eyes stared back at her. "You have?"

She nodded as she tucked her brown strands behind her left ear. "I forgot I need to call Claire and tell her about the accident with the dress. Not to mention the fact you don't think I can drive anyway and you'd only be making faces at me the rest of the way."

"I never said you couldn't drive, Steph."

"No but you were thinking it." she sniffed. "Being your girlfriend, I can tell these things you know."

She saw Paul's lips twitch with his smile as he leaned closer to her, the scent of his cologne following him and making her feel a little light headed.

"Actually what I thinking was my girlfriend can't drive because she's wearing those damn heels of hers."

Letting out a playful snort at his obsession with her footwear, Stephanie opened the door and slid out of the seat. Her hair blowing in the wind, she bent down licking her lips as she watched his thick denim clad thigh stretching over in her direction. "I already told you they are my driving boots."

She heard his amused chuckle as she closed the door behind her and when she slid in the passenger seat, Paul surprised her by leaning over and brushing his lips against hers.

"Thanks for helping take the load off." he said softly.

"You're welcome." she smiled, her mouth still prickling with his kiss as she settled back in her seat, looking forward to their journey. ….

Okay so she was in absolute heaven. 

Stephanie smiled dreamily as she wrapped the oversized hotel robe around herself and breathed in the faint freshness of the fabric softener. The white fluffy material was so soft and warm and tugging on the belt to tighten it around her waist, she wondered if it would fit inside her new suitcase. It had closed over prettily easily once she had bounced around on the lid a little bit and this was so much warmer than the robe she had at home. It was a lot cleaner too and she briefly wondered what detergent the hotel used and if it really removed all those stubborn makeup stains from around the collar. She imagined it did because this one was immaculate. Maybe she would ask the receptionist in the lobby if she could Fed-ex her old one over when she got back home this weekend. She had tried everything and still it was discoloured much to her dismay. It was her most favourite robe too and a birthday present for her Mom. She was sure the hotel would have it looking as good as new and more than likely, they would probably be happy to help her out especially once they knew the sentimental value of the garment. After all, the lady had said they could assist her with absolutely anything she needed when she and Paul had checked in this afternoon. 

And really, the staff had all been so kind and helpful since arriving here. Of course it probably helped that they were paying an obscene amount of money to stay in this adorable hotel. Not that she had even asked how much this suite cost. God knows the price would be out of this world - well her world anyway and she didn't want to seem rude by bringing it up. But this bathroom alone would fit in the whole upper floor of her apartment. And honestly, it was so cool with the mosaic tiled Jacuzzi and the adorable shelf of little Aromatherapy massage oils. She'd already sampled the Jojoba and the sweet almond one with Paul being her reluctant victim until she'd persuaded him it was in the interest of his health to let her try them out on him. After all, they did reduce mental stress and anxiety levels and Paul was a prime candidate for both of those with his important position within the company. And the fact he had to get naked and in the tub beside her was just an added bonus but it was an added bonus that she had enjoyed for most of the afternoon especially when Paul had pulled her on top of him and he had done that thing that she liked. The thing where his….. 

"Are you okay in here?" 

Stephanie lightly blushed as she lifted her head to see Paul standing in the bathroom doorway looking all kinds of handsome in a black shirt and trousers. Seriously, she could never tire of seeing him in that colour and his hair looked so lovely and soft as it fell around his shoulders, tucked behind his ears. Honestly, she sometimes felt like pinching herself when she looked at him. This man was absolute perfection and he could have any woman he wanted in this world. Yet somehow he wanted her and only her. It was just too good to be true, almost like the best dream your heart could ever wish for. 

"I was beginning to think you'd drowned in that tub. Either that or in your robe." grinned Paul as he shifted his feet, leaning his shoulder against the glossy wooden door frame. 

"It's not that big." Stephanie replied rolling her eyes and frowning at him as she walked across to the lavish marble unit. Okay, this thing was a little on the large size but it wasn't as big as Paul was making out and….shit, where was her hand? How was she meant to lift up her hair brush with it half way up her sleeve like that?  
Shaking her arm, Stephanie sighed in frustration as she battled unsuccessfully with the excess material that was currently holding her fingers and wrist hostage.  
"Shit!" she cursed. 

"Need a little help with that?" 

She looked up to see Paul standing just beside her, his face flickering with his amusement as he reached for her left arm and started to roll up her gigantic sleeve. She tried to act casual lifting her shoulder in a shrug as she pushed her freshly washed strands over her shoulder. 

"I guess the material must have stretched with the damp in this place, you know with the steam and everything." she mumbled. 

Paul's brown eyes twinkled back at her as his long fingers briefly lingered on her hand before starting on the opposite cuff. Stephanie licked her lips thinking this man was really so sweet. No guy had ever rolled up her sleeves for her before and there was something kind of nice about it; sort of like he was looking after her and Paul could look after her for the rest of his life if he wanted to. She wasn't going to protest especially not now, not when he smelt so good. Good God, his cologne was just amazing. Her knees literally wanted to collapse every time she breathed him in. She really needed to ask him where he got this stuff so she could buy some for herself. Or maybe next time she was in his apartment, she could sneak into his bathroom and pinch a tiny drop. Just enough to scent her pillow case. She still hadn't washed it since the last time he stayed over and it was starting to look a little grubby. The last thing she wanted was him lying in her bed thinking she was dirty and gross. 

Just then Paul's wrist moved and the overhead spotlights reflected off the face of his watch catching her attention. Her blue eyes briefly glanced at it before they widened in alarm and she grabbed hold of his arm peering closer at the two chrome hands.  
"Oh my God, is that the time? We're going to be late for the party." she cried. 

Pushing past Paul, she grabbed her brush and ran out of the bathroom anxiously scanning the suite for her suitcase that she had dumped somewhere when she'd arrived here. She just wasn't sure where. She'd been so in awe of the room that she'd forgotten about it and then of course, she'd been distracted by those little oils and the huge tub. And then there had been Paul and any chance that she might have unpacked had gone right out of the window the second he'd began to undress. 

"God, where did I put it?" she cried raking her fingers through her hair. 

"Put what?" 

Stephanie turned her head to Paul, her face crumpled with her panic. "My suitcase. I can't find it." 

"It's over there, by the closet." 

Glancing in the direction his big hand gestured to, she felt her shoulders sag with her relief when she saw the pink and white polka-dots. It really looked pretty sitting over there in the corner and had definitely been the perfect purchase.  
Tossing her hair brush to the bed, Stephanie reached for the handle and quickly began to unzip it. 

"Although you're lucky the damn case didn't actually fall through the floor." 

Stephanie's mouth twitched at Paul's comment and she pressed her lips together to disguise her smile as she opened the lid of her case and picked out the white silk dress she'd bought especially for tonight. It had the most pretty angel sleeves and two rows of black lace around the bodice and the bottom hem. She had fallen in love with it the second she had seen it and the v-shaped neckline was…shit! What the hell was that? 

Peering closer, Stephanie held the dress up to the light and her blue eyes went wide when she saw the mark near that same neckline. "Oh no!" she cried as she got to her feet and stared incredulously at the garment. 

"What's wrong?" 

She slowly shook her head in disbelief. "It's ruined. Paul, my dress is ruined. I can't go the party looking like this. What am I going to do? God, what am I going to wear?" 

Her breathing began to quicken as she panicked, her mind running through the clothing she'd carefully selected searching for any possibility she had something else; something that she could wear to this party without looking like a total mess. But fuck, there was nothing. Nothing as nice as this dress anyway and it had been so beautiful when she had tried it on too. Even the sales lady had commented how pretty she had looked and now it was just wasted all because of a stupid horrible mark; a stupid horrible mark that was going to ruin her New Years.  
Feeling the hot lump in her throat, Stephanie let out a whimper as she shook her head once more.  
"I just don't believe it." 

"Hey, relax. It can't be that bad can it." 

She sighed heavily as she felt Paul's arm slide around her waist pulling her back against his chest. As she felt him drop a kiss in her hair, she looked up at him with her devastated ocean blue pools. 

"It is that bad. Look." she told him thrusting the dress in his direction. 

She saw his brown eyes narrow as they quickly scanned over the silk material, his lips pursing together as he lightly shook his head. 

"I don't see anything." 

"It's there. A black mark just at the top of the neckline. See?" 

Her fingernail tapped at it and she watched his handsome face carefully, looking for the same devastation she was currently feeling just thinking about the damn mark. But his brow crinkled only with his confusion as he turned to smile to her. 

"But you can hardly see it." 

"You just did." 

"Yeah only because you pointed it out to me otherwise I would have never noticed it.

Honestly." 

Stephanie stared at him in disbelief unable to believe he was so calm about this. "You're just saying that to me." 

"No I'm not." he laughed. "Trust me. No one will even see it." 

Stephanie frowned uncertainly. "You're sure?" 

"I'm sure." he nodded brushing his lips over her cheek and his brown eyes were soft as he playfully tapped at her nose. 

She smiled back at him, her panic slowly subsiding as she glanced at the dress once more realising Paul was right. The mark really wasn't that noticeable and maybe she had over reacted just a little bit. It's just that she had wanted tonight to be perfect just like this dress was supposed to be. Perfect and preferably clean. "I guess I can still wear it." she admitted. "I mean, my hair will probably hide the stupid mark anyway." 

Paul's hand gently rubbed her side before he stepped away pushing a wayward blonde strand behind his left ear. "Good. So does this mean the crisis is over and we can go to this party?" 

"Yes although there was no crisis. Not really." she sniffed. 

"Of course not." he grinned. 

Stephanie's lips curved up gently at him as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. "I'll just be a minute."  
Her bare feet padded across the plush carpet as she disappeared into the bathroom once more. 

An hour later she was standing by the bar sipping on her glass of free champagne. It was her third of the night. Or was it her fourth? She couldn't quite remember especially when the waiter was walking around with it on that silver tray practically shoving it in her face every five minutes. Of course, it would have been rude to decline his hospitality and it tasted delicious too with the tiny bubbles tickling her nose every so often. No doubt it was pretty expensive and a far cry from her regular purchase from the grocery store. 

Placing her glass down on the polished bar, Stephanie looked around the crowded room searching for Paul. He'd left her to answer a phone call. Some stupid client had the nerve to bother him on New Years and of course he had been far too polite to tell him to just fuck off. Instead he had apologised and disappeared somewhere and she just wished he would hurry up and come back. Standing here all alone had made her a prime target for all the creeps in the place especially now the music had stopped and the band were on their break. Christ, one hadn't even had the decency to say hello before he was inviting her to his room. And then of course there was that idiot manager guy with his stupid party hats. 

Sighing softly, Stephanie turned back to the bar and picking up her glass, she caught her reflection in the mirrored wall. She shook her head tilting the big red glitter bowler hat to one side. The words "New Year" were emblazoned across the front in gold letters with a star placed strategically in the centre. It was totally lame yet she had no option but to wear it. Every time she took off the damn thing, the idiot was back in her face asking her to find her party spirit. It was getting to the point where she was sorely tempted to tell him to shove his party spirit straight up his ass. 

Stephanie lightly chuckled into her glass of champagne but started to splutter as the bubbles drifted up her nose. She felt her drink slowly trickle down her chin and placing the glass down, she grabbed a paper napkin and began to clean up the evidence before anyone noticed. Her blue eyes frantically searched her dress for any stains and brushing her hand over the material, she didn't notice the person approach her from the opposite end of the bar or see the curious expression on their face as they stood just behind her. 

"Hello Stephanie." 

She jumped slightly startled by the sound of his voice and her mouth parted in total disbelief as she realised Nick was here. Fucking Nick in the same fucking hotel! What the hell was he doing here? Did he have some sort of tracking device on her on something? Every time she turned her head, he seemed to be there especially when she was with Paul. Shit! She was with Paul and Nick was here. He was going to see them together. What was she going to do? God damnit! Couldn't this man just leave her and Paul alone? She swore he was on this planet to ruin her life and make it a misery in the process. 

Letting out a calming breath, Stephanie took a second to regain her composure before she slowly turned round, forcing a smile on her face and clenching the napkin tightly in her hand just in case she carried out the urge she had to hit him. God knows she was tempted especially tonight and Jesus Christ, what in the hell was he wearing? It was like someone had thrown a multi-coloured paintbrush all over his purple shirt and he looked totally lame but probably no more lame than she was in her stupid bloody hat. 

"Nick! Hey! What a surprise to see you here." she eventually said. 

Nick smiled, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I could say the same thing about you." 

Stephanie let out a nervous laugh as she quickly scoured for Paul. Please God don't let him appear. Not here. Not now.  
"It's a small world, huh?" 

Nick nodded his head. "So what are you doing here?" 

"Who, me?" 

Nick nodded serenely as she placed her hand over her chest, feeling her heart as it hammered away inside. 

"Oh I'm here for the New Years party of course. You know me. If there is a party going on, I'll find it." she laughed nervously picking up her champagne glass and quickly taking a sip as she silently willed him to go away. 

"So are you here alone?" 

Seeing the inquisitive look on his round face, she slowly shook her head swallowing her drink. 

"So who did you come with?" 

"Come with?" 

"Yes. As in a boyfriend or a friend maybe?" 

Stephanie scowled at his tone. Condescending prick! "I know what you meant." she told him matter of factly placing her hand on her hip as she shifted her feet underneath her. "And actually I'm here with Pa…" She paused, her voice trailing off as she searched frantically around the room and almost shrieked with delight when she saw a guy standing alone by the large window nursing his beer in his hand. Okay, he was a little old but this was no time to be fussy. Nick couldn't find out the truth. There was no chance in hell she was giving up her relationship with Paul.  
"Him!" she announced almost proudly as she gestured in his direction. "That guy over there. His name is… Pablo."

"Pablo?" 

Stephanie nodded. "He's from Europe. Spain actually. He's very exotic." 

Nick raised his eyebrows seemingly impressed as he looked over towards the window. "So I can see from the plaid pants and the wool sweater he's wearing." 

She tried to be casual lifting her shoulder in a shrug. "He's cold that's all. I mean he's not used to snow being from a hot country and all." 

Taking another mouthful of champagne, Stephanie quickly glanced towards the door and she almost choked on her drink for a second time that night when she saw the familiar head of blonde hair approaching from the lobby. Shit! Paul was coming. She had to get him the hell out of here before Nick clapped his little beady eyes on him.  
Banging her glass down on the bar, she picked up her small clutch bag and tried her best to smile calmly as she took a couple of steps back. 

"Actually, I'd better get back to…" Her mind went blank as she glanced back at the door. Shit. What did she call him again? "You know. My boyfriend." she said gesturing to him. 

"Pablo?" 

Stephanie nodded trying her best not to shriek as she noticed Paul coming over in her direction. "Pablo." she giggled anxiously. "Yes, that's what I call him because it's his name. Pablo is his name." 

Nick smiled as he observed her strangely. "Well you and Pablo have a nice time." 

Stephanie could only lift her hand in acknowledgement as she pushed past the small group of people in front of her. Her blue eyes frantically searching for Paul, she found him just leaving the waiter who thankfully had sidetracked him with his tray of champagne again. Unfortunately he had to leave empty handed when without saying a word, she grabbed his large arm, tugging him in the direction of the door and hearing his amused chuckle behind her. 

"Nice hat by the way." 

"Never mind the stupid hat. Come on. We need to get out of here before he sees you." 

"Before who sees me?" 

Stephanie said nothing as she scowled in irritation and excused herself past the elderly couple who were blocking her path and stalling her getaway. Thankfully the door was just in front of them and there was no sign of Nick anywhere. He wasn't even in the grand lobby and the coast appeared clear to the elevators. 

Quickly seeking out Paul's hand, she guided him across the plush crimson carpet. 

"Steph, where are we going?" 

"Our room." 

"Our room?" 

Stephanie nodded as she banged her hand against the elevator button and stared urgently at the closed steel doors silently willing them to open. 

"Well not that I'm complaining about that but it's not even midnight yet. I thought you wanted to see in the New Year." 

She felt Paul tug on her fingers and she ignored the anxious knot in her chest as she looked up at him.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. I, em, I just thought we could do it alone, that's all." 

She saw his brown eyes flicker with surprise and before he could quiz her any further, she lightly toyed with his fingertips and curved her lips into a seductive smile. 

"You know, just the two of us. In fact it was part of that plan, you know the one I told you about in the car." 

"What plan? You didn't mention any plan." 

"I didn't? I guess it must have slipped my mind." she told him, curling her hand around his neck and gently kissing his lips while silently, she wondered why the hell Paul had to be so observant all the time. It was cute he remembered everything but how on earth was she supposed to get away with a thing. Although it looked like she had got away with this one judging by that gleam in his eye. The gleam that told her she was going to get exactly what she wanted tonight. 

"So this plan McMahon, does it involve getting you naked?" 

"Maybe." she smiled. 

"And what about the hat?"  
"What about it?"

"Well maybe you can wear it for me? Just wear the hat with absolutely nothing else." 

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as she pointed to her head. "This hat?" 

Paul nodded and smirked. 

"You do know you need some kind of help for that." 

"What?" he laughed. "I think it looks very cute on you." 

She let out a giggle as his mouth sought out her neck but her laughter soon disappeared and her heart leapt to her throat when she saw the unmistakable clothing coming their way. Damn it! Where was that stupid elevator? 

Breaking Paul's embrace, her stomach was churning as she banged the heel of her hand against the button once more. 

"Are you okay?" 

Stephanie nodded as she practically glared at the steel doors. "Sure. I'm just anxious to get upstairs that's all." 

Just then the doors slid open and she almost gave out a delighted squeal as she stepped inside inhaling the faint scent of lemons. 

"Paul?" 

But her stomach literally dropped when she heard the voice she had been dreading. The voice who told her their time was up unless of course she could get Paul in this damn elevator and quick. 

"Nick, hey." 

Spinning on her heel, Stephanie's heart sank as she watched Paul disappear from view. Damn it. Why did he have to acknowledge Nick? Why did he have to be so damn nice all the time? He should have just ignored him and got in here. Now they were busted and she was going to be alone and miserable for the rest of her life; either that or serving cappucinos at Starbucks. Unless of course there was the tiniest chance Nick hadn't seen her.  
Her mouth slightly parted as she pondered over that possibility. After all, Paul was carrying on his conversation without her. He hadn't come after her which meant there was every possibility Nick hadn't mentioned her which maybe meant he didn't know she was here at all. 

Her heart pounding in her chest, Stephanie quickly reached for the tiny illuminated buttons on the panel on the right. She pressed at them randomly not sure what floor they staying on but right now she just didn't care as long as she got the hell out of here. It seemed to take a lifetime before the doors slid shut once more and her shoulders sagging with relief, Stephanie leant her body against the elevator wall taking off her hat and tossing it to the seated ledge. As she raked her fingers through her hair, she was sure Paul would follow on and find her later and of course he would understand why she'd had to leave him like this. Maybe she'd even say the elevator took off without him. That sounded much better than abandoning him like she didn't want to be seen with him. God, she'd show Paul off to the whole world if she could but unfortunately that wasn't an option. Not if she wanted to keep her job and she loved her job. She also loved Paul too and God, how she loved him. It was becoming so hard to keep her feelings to herself. So many times she'd been so close to blurting it out to him but of course, she couldn't. She had no idea if Paul loved her back and she didn't want to force the issue or make him say those three little words just because he thought he had to. She wanted him to mean it when he said it; well that's if he ever said it. Sometimes she scared herself thinking he never would. Still, it was early days yet and she was sure he was probably being cautious. Yes. That was probably it. 

Sighing softly, Stephanie shifted her feet and when the elevator doors slid open once more, she was still deep in thought, her mind on Paul as she stepped out into the hall. It was only after a couple of seconds that she noticed her surroundings but by that time it was far too late. Nick had spotted her just as she cursed out loud. She was back in the lobby. The stupid elevator hadn't taken her anywhere at all. 

"Hey Steph." 

She offered Nick a weak smile as her blue eyes sought out Paul silently apologising for her damn stupidity. She'd ruined their relationship. She'd gone and ruined everything. Pushing back the lump in her throat, she felt her heart break as she crossed her arms over her chest and slowly made her way towards them. 

"Wait a second, isn't that Pablo? Over there with the blonde?" exclaimed Nick. 

Before she could reply, Paul's nose wrinkled with his curiosity.  
"Pablo? Who the hell is Pablo?" 

"You haven't met him yet? He's Steph's boyfriend. He's apparently very exotic." 

Stephanie's blue eyes instantly narrowed hatefully in Nick's direction. Why was he being such an asshole? Why mention Pablo at all now he suspected the truth. He was obviously just out to humiliate her now. The jerk! Monday morning, she was spitting in his coffee. Or maybe she would try out those laxatives like she had threatened to and then Nick would know all about humiliation. 

"Stephanie." 

Paul's soft tone got her attention and as she met those unbelievable brown eyes of his, she knew exactly what he was going to say. She knew he wanted to tell Nick the truth about their relationship but she didn't want him to. Not now. Not tonight. Not when she could hold on to the ridiculous notion that this might just be alright. That Paul wouldn't lose his job or even worse, she could lose him. After all Paul's career was so important to him and she wasn't sure she could measure up. After all, what did she have that could she offer him? A crazy little life where everything she touched ended up cursed? And even this relationship was heading that way by the looks of things. It just wasn't fair. She loved Paul so much. How was she supposed to exist without him? 

Stephanie swallowed hard pressing her lips together stifling the hot tears that now burned the back of her eyes. One escaped between her lashes and she lifted her hand to swipe it away glancing at the carpet unable to look at Paul as he led her away, lightly gripping her arm and quietly excusing himself to Nick as he guided her to the elevator. His expression was sombre and he remained silent all the way to their room. Only when the door had clicked shut behind them did he turn to her, his face soft as he laced his fingers through hers and his voice was gentle yet serious when he eventually spoke. 

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious Nick knows about us." 

Stephanie stared up at him, her blue eyes beseeching his forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Paul. I didn't realise where I was when I stepped off that stupid elevator. I…." 

He quickly shook his head, interrupting her. "Don't apologise. I'm glad he knows." 

"You….you are?" she said, tentatively. 

"Yeah. I mean, aren't you sick and tired of all this?" 

Stephanie felt her heart plummet as she realised what he meant and tilting her head to the carpet she knew she couldn't blame him. Paul was sick and tired of them. He was sick and tired of her and no wonder. After all what guy would want to be with someone who was nothing but a walking disaster and a walking disaster who had almost burned his apartment down for God sakes. He deserved so much better than this. He deserved so much better than her.  
Suddenly feeling a little cold and a little scared, a tear trickled down her cheek and Stephanie sniffed trying hard to maintain her composure as she heard Paul softly sigh. She wasn't going to break down. She wasn't going to cry and make him feel guilty about this. And besides, she had her pride. Well, what little she had left after all of this. 

"I know I hate it. I hate having to hide the fact that I'm with you. I mean I love you Steph and as far as I'm concerned I want the whole world to know how I feel about you." 

Stephanie's breath caught in her throat as Paul's words began to slowly sink in and she lifted her head, her big blue eyes stunned and surprised as they looked at him.  
"Wait a second. You…..you love me?" she asked in amazement. 

"Yeah." he replied softly. 

"So you're not breaking up with me?" 

Paul lightly chuckled, shaking his head and his lips curved up gently as he curled his hand around her face. Stephanie felt her heart melt as she leaned into his and looked into his eyes. Suddenly nothing else mattered. Not Nick. Not her job. All that mattered was Paul and the fact that he loved her. God! He loved her! He really, really loved her. 

"Why on earth would I want to break up with you? You make me laugh, Steph. You make me enjoy life and quite honestly, I think I would be lost without you." he told her. 

Stephanie swallowed thickly and as his thumb tenderly stroked her face, she smiled, her lips trembling with her overwhelming emotion. "I'd be lost without you too." she whispered. 

"Then can we agree? No more hiding. Please." 

As his brown eyes searched hers, Stephanie tried to draw on the strength she saw there and slowly, she nodded her head. Paul's smile made her melt and as he pulled her into his arms, she knew she was doing the right thing. After all, she could cope with Starbucks. She could cope with anything now she knew Paul loved her. God, he loved her. He loved her. He loved her!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Excuse me, young lady?"

Stephanie's head quickly turned in the direction of the voice. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw it was her customer before last. She was a particularly fussy old lady and she was sitting at her table, her mouth firmly set in disapproval as she glared at her coffee cup like it was the most disgusting drink she had ever seen in her life. And if she was being honest with herself, there was every chance that it probably was.

See the truth was she was under no delusions about her talent as a waitress. She was quickly discovering that since starting here a week ago, making coffee using those fancy shiny machines was definitely not her calling in life. Not to mention they were such violent things constantly hissing and spurting at her making her jump ten feet in the air every single time she went near one. She was taking her life in her hands every time someone asked for her a latte or in this lady's particular case, a cappuccino. She should be asking for danger money each time she went to serve a drink up although in this particular case, she would be lucky to get the money for the drink never mind anything else.

Forcing her best apologetic smile on her face, Stephanie slowly approached the table.

"Is everything okay, ma'am?"

"No it's not. This cappuccino hasn't been made right. You've not let the foam sit long enough and milk has seeped into my shot of espresso."

"Are you sure?" asked Stephanie, leaning forward and peering into the cup.

The lady snorted indignantly. "Of course I'm sure. I certainly hope you're not implying I don't know how a cappuccino is made."

She quickly shook her head as she pushed back the loose strands that had escaped from her ponytail. "Of course I'm not."

"Good. In that case, I'll trust that you'll take this away and bring me another."

"Sure." smiled Stephanie, picking up the coffee and balancing it in her hand but her smile quickly disappeared as she turned around and scowled, her eyes focused on the tiled floor.

"Miserable old hag." she muttered.

But the hag was soon forgotten as she felt herself collide with someone standing just in front of her. She could only watch in horror as the coffee decorated the crisp white cotton shirt they wore before the empty cup ceremoniously crashed to the floor shattering into pieces. But the broken cup was the least of her worries and her horror quickly turned to dismay when she realised she recognised the crisp white cotton shirt and not only that, she recognised the huge muscular chest it hugged deliciously and her mouth instantly parted in a gasp.

"Paul!"

She lifted her head, her blue eyes apologetic and wide as she rummaged around in the pocket of her apron and pulled out a bundle of crumpled paper napkins.

"I'm so sorry." she told him as she anxiously began to dab at his shirt.

But her efforts were futile. The coffee was everywhere and by all accounts the shirt was completely ruined. She would just have to buy him another one. Maybe a really expensive one courtesy of Mastercard just to prove how sorry she really was and it would be easy to pick one out now she knew his exact size. See, she'd been the perfect girlfriend and mesmerised all his labels when she'd looked through his closets the other week. And no, she hadn't been snooping in there – not at all. She'd only been curious about what sort of clothing he had. And okay, after finding out about the wine refrigerator, she'd maybe been scoping out if he did have that shoe closet she'd always dreamed of.

Unfortunately, she hadn't found one of those but she'd found something so much better. The clothes on the racks definitely all belonged to Paul. There wasn't one item in there that wasn't masculine which meant only one thing. No other women had their clothes in his apartment. He wasn't seeing anyone else. She had absolutely no competition for his affection.

Smiling at that thought, Stephanie looked up at Paul but her smile quickly faded when she saw the irritated expression on his face. Her throat felt dry as her hand curled around the soiled napkins in her hand quickly drawing them away from his shirt. She swallowed thickly feeling a little bit scared. Paul had never been irritated with her before, ever. Even that time when she almost burned his kitchen down, he'd been so understanding and patient with her. He'd always been understanding and patient with her. Now he looked like he wanted to bat her away like an annoying insect or something. Even his normal gentle brown eyes felt cold and hard. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.

"Stephanie, we have to talk."

Her blue eyes went wide as she stared at Paul and followed him to the nearest vacant table. Everything else fell away around them including the hissing coffee machines and the impatient looks from the old hag in the corner. As Stephanie sat down across from him, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly he wanted to talk about. She watched him carefully as she tossed the napkins down. His eyes met hers as the late afternoon sun shone through the tall glass paned window behind him. It highlighted his soft blonde strands in pretty shades of gold and normally she would have allowed herself a moment to admire the way the colours danced in his hair but she couldn't; not today. Not when her stomach was churning nauseously as she took in Paul's facial expression. It was unusually stern and she swore she even saw a flicker of sympathy and that alone left her feeling a little worried and a little frightened.

"Look, before I say what I need to say to you, I want you to know it's not you, it's me."

Stephanie felt her bottom lip tremble as Paul's words began to slowly sink in and she felt her world slowly begin to collapse around her. See, she wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what his words meant. They were words she'd witnessed a million times before either in a book or a movie she'd watched but she'd never experienced them first hand. Or at least she hadn't before now. God, Paul was about to dump her.

Biting down on the soft flesh on the inside her mouth, Stephanie determinedly held back her tears. She wasn't going to sit here and cry in front of Paul. It didn't matter that her entire life was about to come to an end. In front of him, she would be the epitome of cool, calm and indifferent. After all, a girl needed to try and keep some shred of dignity even when the man that she loved more than anything was about to horribly kick her to the kerb like she was some piece of crappy garbage.

She just didn't understand why she had suddenly become garbage. Everything had been going perfectly in their relationship up until now. They'd gone away on their first real vacation together. Paul had treated her to an expensive hotel and even told her he loved her. Or at least he had loved her until she'd given him third degree burns with a rejected cappuccino. And now much like her coffee, she was about to be rejected too and all because she hadn't been able to work that stupid elevator. Fuck, if she hadn't walked out in front of Nick at New Years none of this would be happening to her. No-one would know she was dating Paul which meant she wouldn't be working in some stupid Starbucks and Paul wouldn't be about to break her heart.

"I just can't do this with you." he sighed interrupting her thoughts.

Stephanie sniffed and feeling the ache in her stomach, she silently urged herself not to cry as she sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest protectively.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I was really into you, Steph." Paul continued leaning forward across the table, his long fingers loosely clasped together in front of him. Stephanie tried not to remember how soft they felt against her skin or how perfectly they had curled around her hand like a perfect fit.

"You're hot and well, I won't lie to you. The sex with you, it's amazing. And that thing you do with your tongue…."

He paused as his mouth twitched in a sexy, indulgent smirk.

"But honestly babe, now I've thought about it, you're not a long term prospect for me. Not now everything is out in the open, which of course was all thanks to you. So now, you've given me no choice. I have to think of my public image and find someone else; someone who will make good wife material and someone who quite frankly won't embarrass me on a daily basis. I mean I can't spend the rest of my life with someone who burns me with coffee and quite frankly, should carry a hazard sign every where they go. And not only are you walking disaster darlin', you serve coffee for a living and you wear some ridiculous, oversized white apron into the bargain. It's really not cool at all."

As his brown eyes stared in disgust at her work attire, Stephanie slowly shook her head in disbelief.

"But you know why I came here. I'm doing this for you. For us." she whispered.

"I'm sorry but there is no us. Not anymore. It's over."

"I…..I don't believe this." she stammered out as Paul got to his feet and she felt her heart crush into a million pieces much like her broken cappuccino cup as he began to walk away from her and everything they had had together.

"So that's it? It's over between us?" she called out after him.

Her only response was his left hand raised in a cold, dismissive wave. Blinking back the tears that welled in her eyes, she stared down at the wooden table pressing her lips together tightly.

"Steph?"

She shook her head at the kind voice just behind her not wanting to talk to anyone, not wanting to see the sympathetic looks on the faces of the people that had witnessed the break-up with Paul and in turn, had witnessed the end of her life. And God, she was now officially a member of Dumpsville, population her! She really was a total loser and not only that a loser with a ridiculously stupid apron….

"Steph?"

The voice was more insistent this time. Her eyes popped open as she felt the gentle shake of her shoulder and she blinked hard as she stared ahead disorientated.

Slowly, the room began to come into focus for her. There was the sweeping maple desk she was leaning over. There were the shelves in the alcove behind it and the extremely large yucca plant in the corner next to the filing cabinets. Wait. This wasn't Starbucks at all. She was in Paul's office.

Stephanie jolted her head upwards as she slowly realised she must have been dreaming. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for Paul to come back from his meeting. That's right. She was waiting for him because he was taking her out to dinner.

"Hey there, sleepyhead."

His deep amused tone made her stomach begin to float with tiny bubbles as she turned to see him standing next to her looking more incredible than she had ever seen him. And his white cotton shirt looked immaculately crisp with thankfully not a coffee stain in sight.

"Paul!" she breathed as she raked her fingers through her messy hair pushing it back from her face. She licked her lips which felt thick and dry with sleep. "I'm sorry. I must have dozed off."

His hand reached out to affectionately touch her cheek, his thumb lightly grazing over her skin. "It's no wonder you did. You've hardly slept the last couple of days."

As his concerned brown eyes scanned her face, Stephanie leant into his touch and sighed, marvelling just how amazing this guy was. Not only had he noticed when she had her coat unbuttoned in the cold the other night, he also noticed that she hadn't been sleeping lately, restless due to her dread about coming back to work today. It really had to be a sign that he genuinely cared about her which of course made perfect sense being he was in love with her.

God, Paul really was in love with her. And he'd not only said at the hotel that night. He'd said it twice since. Once on the phone and once whispered into her ear as he'd…..well it didn't matter what he'd been doing. The important thing was he had said it. It was all too amazing to be true and once she'd even pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming up all of this…..shit! Dreaming! Her dream!

Stephanie suddenly felt a wave of fear as she began to remember little flashbacks of her Starbucks nightmare.

"Oh my God, Paul!" she gasped as she stood up from her chair, shaking, her knees feeling a little wobbly underneath her.

Paul's brow crinkled with his concern as his hand gripped her arm to steady her. "Easy there, Steph. Is something wrong?"

She let out a shaky breath as it all came quickly rushing back to her. The rejected cappuccino. Paul telling her it was over. She could still remember how sick she felt as she had watched him walk away from her. It had all seemed so real to her; even now. But maybe it felt that way because it was real. Maybe her dream wasn't a dream at all. Maybe it was actually a premonition; a premonition that told her how things were going to turn out with Paul. After all, these things happened all the time. People would dream things and they could come true like that movie where the plane crashed and everyone died. The guy had dreamt the plane blew up before it had even happened. Maybe her dream would be like that too. Maybe telling everyone about their relationship would start a chain of events that would spiral out of control and it wouldn't stop until Paul had ended their relationship.

Oh God. There was just no way she could ever let that happen. Ever. She loved Paul with everything inside her. She needed him more than she had ever needed anything in her life, even more than her credit card and her hair straighteners.

She had to stop this thing before it even got started. She had to persuade Paul to keep their relationship a secret. It was the only way to keep him. She had no choice. But shit, Nick. He knew about them. She'd just have to find some way to gag him and buy his silence somehow. Maybe she could bribe him or something. Whatever. She'd figure that part out later. Right now, she needed to talk to Paul. She had to make him see sense about this whole thing.

Stephanie lifted her wide blue eyes and looked at Paul. Her heart was thudding in her chest, her head feeling hot and cold as she swallowed thickly.

"You can't do it." she blurted out.

Paul's nose wrinkled cutely with his confusion as he pushed some papers aside and sat down on the desk in front of her.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Tell them. You can't tell them about us."

His hand lifted to rub at his cheek. "Tell who?"

"The Board." she said despairingly as she reached for his hand and held it tightly in hers hoping he wouldn't get upset with her and instead, sense how worried she was about this. And she was worried. Sure, she knew how fed up Paul was with hiding their relationship but if he didn't listen to her, they wouldn't have a relationship to hide and the only mementoes they would be left with were a broken coffee cup and a coffee stained shirt. Then of course there would be her broken heart.

Stephanie licked her lips nervously as her big eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"We can't tell them about us. We have to keep this a secret." she said shakily.

Stephanie felt the panic begin to grip her chest as she watched Paul's smile slowly disappear.

"Well, that might prove to be a little bit difficult."

She swallowed hard as she felt her stomach drop. "Why? Has….has someone told them about us?" she stammered.

"Yeah."

"Who?" she blurted out, alarmed.

Paul's mouth parted to open but she interrupted him as she dropped his hand, raking her fingers nervously through her hair as she felt her life begin to slip away from her.

"Actually, you don't have to tell me. I bet it was Nick, right? I mean, he's been in on the whole conspiracy from the start."

"What conspiracy?"

Stephanie's heart thumped rapidly in her chest as she began to pace anxiously in front of Paul, her body feeling a little bit cold and shivery as she realised it was too late. It was all too late. The horrible chain of events had already begun and she was absolutely powerless to stop it.

"The conspiracy to keep us apart and now it has worked." she explained as the blood pulsed in her ears. "I mean we can't be together unless I leave here and take that crappy job at Starbucks. And you know what that means? I'll have to make cappuccinos and serve them to old hags wearing that stupid apron that you'll absolutely hate. Then I'll become garbage and then you'll decide to dump me anyway and…."

Her voice tailed off into a silence as she let out a shaky, scared breath. As she listened to the traffic in the street below, she swore she could feel her heart shattering in her chest already. It was just all so horribly unfair.

"Wait a second here. Why on earth would I decide to dump you?"

Stephanie looked sadly at Paul. "Because I embarrass you, that's why."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter." she sighed heavily as she turned to the window glancing down at the people below. As her fingers lightly gripped the wooden ledge, she wondered how many of them were walking around with a broken heart. Was there a certain facial expression or a look that would let people know she was a reject of love? No doubt they would laugh and point at her just like that time in her freshman year when she had walked out of the bathrooms and down the hall with her skirt tucked into her underwear and the whole school had been snickering at her.

"Look, I'm not sure where all this has come from." said Paul as he stood behind her at the window.

Stephanie sighed once more as she felt his arms slide around her waist. She leaned her back into him savouring his touch and breathing in his cologne wondering how she was ever going to manage without him and if he would notice if she kept the t-shirt he'd left at her house just last night. She'd snuck it under her pillow when he was in the shower planning to wear it when he wasn't around. Yes, she really was that hopeless and pathetic but now, she was also dangerously close to heartbroken and desperate too.

"But trust me Steph, you don't embarrass me. Not a bit. And there is no chance of me deciding to dump you." said Paul before he dropped a kiss in her hair.

She rolled her lips together as she lifted her shoulder in an unconvinced shrug. After all, their relationship was in fate's hands and fate usually had a horrible way of screwing with her.

"Well maybe not now….." she said.

"And maybe not ever."

Stephanie's breath caught in her throat as Paul whirled her round. His words were spinning round dizzily in her head as she looked at him too hesitant and unsure to believe them. Still, she couldn't ignore the sparkle of sincerity that glimmered in his beautiful chocolate pools as he looked at her.

"Look, I know we can't be sure of the future, okay?" he smiled softly. "I mean, who knows what is going to happen, right?"

Stephanie nodded slowly as she stared back at him.

"But I can be sure of one thing and that's how I feel about you right now."

He paused as he licked his lips, his fingers tucking her hair tenderly behind her ear making her chest gently flutter.

"And right now, I love you and quite honestly, I can't see that changing any time soon."

"Really?" she breathed.

"Really."

As his hand softly curled around her cheek, Stephanie was unable to stop the huge grin that slowly crept across her face, the huge grin that hadn't faded since the moment Paul had walked into her life and brought her so much happiness she felt like she was still reeling from it all.

Leaning into his touch, she turned her head lightly brushing her lips over the edge of his palm.

"I love you too." she whispered shyly.

"Good then can we stop all this talk of garbage and Starbucks."

Stephanie opened her mouth to agree when she suddenly remembered feeling her stomach begin to twist into tiny knots. "But the Board…"

"The Board are fine. I talked to them."

She blinked as she stared at Paul, not quite daring to believe what he was telling her.

"You did?"

He nodded. "Right after we finished our meeting this afternoon. And they're fine with it, Steph. There isn't a problem with us being together as long as we keep things strictly professional and don't let our relationship interfere with work."

"But Bill and Katie…" she said, her mind whirling in a confused daze. Bill had been fired because of his inter-office relations. Surely the same thing would happen to Paul.

But she began to feel her confusion slip away as Paul shook his head patiently.

"It was exactly like I told you. Bill was married. Katie was one of a long list of affairs he'd had. The Board couldn't afford to keep him around, not once news of that had leaked out to one of our biggest customers."

"So what? This means we can be together and I can stay here?"

"Absolutely." grinned Paul.

"So you promise I won't ever be working in Starbucks?"

"Steph, I've tasted your coffee. I think that's one promise I can keep."

Stephanie playfully smacked his arm and giggled before she let out an excited shriek. She impulsively jumped up, wrapping her arms around Paul's neck and hugging him. As she squeezed him tightly, she heard his deep laughter as he hugged her back. Her heart felt like it was bursting as he twirled her round and she fleetingly caught their reflection in the glass panes of the window. In that instant, Stephanie stared back at her beaming self and listened to the voice in her head telling her this was perfect. This moment was perfect and nothing in this world was going to spoil it. And nothing could. Not now. Not now there was nothing standing in the way of her and Paul being together. And maybe, just maybe, she might end up getting that happy ending after all.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

So this was it. The start of the first day of her brand new life!

Stephanie's brow crinkled with her exertion as she lightly panted, rushing across the road dodging the cars that lined the traffic congested street. As she lifted her wrist to check her watch, she had to concede that perhaps her life wasn't that new after all. There were some things that definitely hadn't changed like her time keeping for one. Here she was already fifteen minutes late for work and still a block away from the office and it had all been the stupid train driver's fault. He had pulled away from the station just as she had run onto the platform. He hadn't even stopped for her despite her shouting at him and jumping around waving her arms at him. So, of course, she had been left with no option but to stand there in the cold and wait for the next one to come along. That now made her ridiculously late and she had actually planned to be a little early today too. After all, this was her first day as Stephanie McMahon, Executive Marketing Assistant and Official Girlfriend of Paul Levesque. Or maybe that should be Exclusive Girlfriend of Paul Levesque. After all, he did love her and he loved only her.

Feeling a warm glow that accompanied that thought, Stephanie didn't feel the bitter wind that caught her as she turned the corner, whipping her hair across her face. A few loose strands caught on her lip gloss and as she reached up to remove them, her bracelet escaped from the cuff of her black wool coat. She smiled as the tiny diamonds of the charms sparkled in the low morning sunlight. It was so beautiful just like the man who had given it to her.

And it was because of Paul she had tried to make the effort to be on time this morning. He had taken a big risk telling the Board about their relationship and he had been so professional and responsible about the whole thing. She had wanted to do her part and show him she could be those things too. After all they were in a proper adult relationship now and one of the rules of a successful partnership was compromise. If Paul could put his neck on the line for her, she could at least make the effort to always be punctual and efficient for him. After all, she was his girlfriend and her actions reflected on him. Although it appeared she needed to take a rain check on the whole punctual part at least for today.

Wincing with her dismay, Stephanie quickly ascended the steps to the office. As she approached the double glass doors, she stopped taking a second to catch her breath and decided to take a quick glimpse to check her appearance. She didn't want to appear at her desk in a bedraggled mess. She had taken a lot of care with her choice of outfit and had to admit she at least looked professional. She wore her favourite black trouser suit under her long coat with a cute little red vest top she'd found on sale just last week. It was a perfect match for the red lace lingerie she wore underneath. Not that the lingerie would be on show at any point today; at least not in the office anyway. But Paul had invited her over to his apartment after work. Apparently he was going to treat her to a nice dinner and she thought it only fair that she rewarded his efforts by supplying the dessert.

Her lips twitching seductively with that thought, Stephanie pushed open the door. Her cheeks tingled with the warm air and her heels clicked against the marble floor as she quickly made her way through the reception area. It was eerily quiet with even the Beacon away from her desk but she was just grateful of the fact no one was around to witness how late she was. It would also give her a silent moment to practice what she was going to say to Paul when she saw him in front of everyone this morning. People might be watching them together, looking for evidence of their relationship. She had to make sure she wasn't making it blatantly obvious.

Her hand gripping the shiny banister, Stephanie began to ascend the grand staircase mentally planning her greeting and their first words exchanged as an official office couple. It had to be something that wouldn't scream "girlfriend". "Good morning" sounded way too formal. "Hey you" was far too relaxed and friendly. "Hello" was probably her best option. "Hello Paul." Yep, that sounded okay although maybe she would forget using the whole name thing just in case she said it too softly or too intimately. She had to avoid anything that would give the game away because she had to try her best to be discreet about this. According to Cosmopolitan, discretion was the number one rule in any successful office relationship along with ignoring all office gossip and avoiding any public display of affection. She was sure she could handle all of that although a kiss or a quiet moment alone behind a closed office door surely couldn't do any harm.

Smiling at thought, Stephanie approached the end of the corridor. She was about to push open the double glass door when she spotted Mandy standing behind her cubicle. Her nose instantly wrinkled in disapproval as she wondered what that nosey bitch was doing at her desk. She still didn't trust her since the whole scribbling-Paul's-name-in-a-heart incident and she was clearly there looking for something. Maybe she had heard about her and Paul and was looking for some sort of evidence. Well she wasn't going to find it and she certainly wasn't going to be getting anything out of her either. Her private life was just that; private. Bragging about it wouldn't exactly be discreet now would it even if she did feel like screaming it from the rooftops! God, she was Paul's girlfriend. She would be the envy of the entire office but still, she couldn't tell anyone, unless of course they asked. Then she would be obligated to tell them the truth. But until then she had to be totally professional about this. She would keep it to herself especially when there was the added bonus that staying silent would drive the Mouth completely nuts.

Smirking to herself in satisfaction, Stephanie opened the door and walked into the busy office. She noticed it was quieter than usual for a Friday as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked to her desk trying her best to look as normal as possible.

"Morning Stephanie."

"Morning Violet." she smiled as she lifted her hand in a wave. She tried not to inhale the overpowering lavender scent as she passed her by and her curious blue eyes tried to quickly check the small face looking back at her, searching for some sort of look, some sort of expression that would tell her if she knew. But there appeared to be nothing there. Even her smile was exactly the same. There wasn't even a little tell-tale smirk or twinkle in her eyes. If she wasn't planning on being so discreet, she might feel sort of disappointed about that.

"Hey Steph."

She looked up and saw Mandy standing just in front of her. Honestly, that girl really had a damn nerve. She didn't even have the decency to look even the least bit embarrassed at being caught out at her desk.

"I was just leaving a message for you. Paul called. He won't be in until later on today. He's at some meeting with Nick. He asked me to tell you that although I was a little surprised you didn't already know."

As her piggy eyes stared back at her somewhat quizzically, Stephanie wondered why she would be surprised. Was this was some sort of test. Had she heard something and now Mandy was trying to get it out of her? If she was, she wasn't biting. If the Mouth wanted the truth, she could ask her outright. She had nothing to hide from her. After all, she even had the Board's blessing.

Stephanie shrugged her shoulder casually while her fingers began to unbutton her coat. "And why would I know?" she shot back.

"Well you and Paul…"

"What about me and Paul?"

Her blue eyes scanned Mandy's face suspiciously and she hardly dared to breathe waiting for her reply. The girl usually wasn't backwards in coming forwards so why wasn't she coming outright and saying something? Did she know about her and Paul or didn't she?

"Well you are his acting personal assistant. I thought you would know his schedule, that's all."

Her brow crinkled with her disappointed sigh as she realised she just might not.

"Yeah well his plans obviously changed for today. They change all the time. It's no big deal."

"No, I guess not."

Stephanie pressed her lips in a smile as Mandy brushed by. She shrugged off her coat and walking into her cubicle, she hung it on the back of her chair. She tossed her handbag down next to the wilting peace lily on the filing cabinet and made a mental note to water it at some point before she was forced to issue the last rites. But first she needed a cup of strong coffee before she even switched on her computer. Maybe she would even wander to the cafeteria and get a toffee muffin too. With Paul and Nick out of the office she had plenty of time to catch up on things and work on that slogan. Maybe she would even make up that exercise chart she had been planning to do since New Years. She only had six weeks and counting until that whole gym shoot and she was sure she had put on a few pounds over Christmas. Then there was that stupid treadmill she still couldn't work. Of course, it probably didn't help that she'd only used it twice. But it wasn't her fault. Each time Paul took her to the gym, she found much more interesting things to do like watching Paul working out and checking out the cute little grimaces he made when he was lifting those weights with those big strong arms of his. It actually wasn't that dissimilar from the grimace he made when he…..well it wasn't really matter what he was doing when he made it. But what did matter was getting herself whipped into shape and fast and she would make a start on that right away; right after she'd had her coffee and that muffin.

And the muffin had been long demolished by the time she had cleared her in-tray and finished the work on that slogan. Sighing wearily, her bleary eyes looked up from her computer as she stretched out her arms and glanced up at the clock. They widened in surprise to see it was a little after five and she wondered where on earth the time had gone. She hadn't even made a start on the draft for the new liquor promotion or that exercise chart. And she had been somewhat side-tracked by her regular calls to Claire on the fourteenth floor. Of course this was only after she had apologised for ripping the shit out of her bridesmaids dress and offering to pay for the damage. Claire had then kept her up to speed on any office conversations.

Again, she couldn't help but feel disappointed at the outcome of those. Apparently a few people had mentioned Paul's name on the odd occasion but no-one seemed to suspect they were together. Not one person knew they were in a relationship. What the hell was up with that anyway? Usually the gossip flew around this place. Even news of Tina's botched breast implants had made its way around the personnel department before the poor girl had even recovered from surgery. Why did no-one know about her and Paul? Unless of course the Board had also decided to be discreet about things in which case no-one would know. Maybe they never would. Maybe it would remain a secret and really, that was a good thing because it meant no-one could spread any gossip about them. Their relationship wouldn't be threatened by rumours or petty jealousies from other colleagues because people would be jealous. She had no doubt about that. Paul was a good looking guy and she had heard the comments from other girls in the other departments. He was considered the catch of the office and a few had even threatened to sink their claws into him. Well those girls could think again because their claws and every other part of their anatomy could stay the hell away from him.

"Steph, Paul needs to sign this."

Stephanie swivelled round in her chair and took the envelope from Mandy's outstretched hand.

"Personnel dropped it off earlier. It's the contract for the new P.A. She starts on Monday, right?"

She nodded feeling a little sad that she was about to be replaced and so soon. She had enjoyed working for Paul. Everything personal aside, he had encouraged her thoughts and her ideas. He had included her in negotiations and made her feel like she really contributed something. Now it would be her who he would be encouraging; that Samia Beardmore although the name Bitch-ho was definitely more apt especially after that coffee incident just before New Years.

"Oh hey Paul."

Stephanie felt her cheeks flush with heat at the simple mention of his name and her stomach fluttered with the delicious sound of his voice as he greeted Mandy. Thankfully the Mouth left her desk as she ducked her head pretending to busy herself with the contract. She didn't quite trust herself to look up in his direction, not while Mandy was still around. God knows gushing all over him would give the game away although if she was honest, part of her was desperately hoping the Mouth would figure it out anyway. She felt like she was bursting holding this all inside.

"Bye Stephanie." she called out.

She lifted her hand in a wave as she tidied a stack of paper and felt her heart race in anticipation knowing it was now just her and Paul in the office. Nick hadn't come back – or at least she assumed he hadn't. Still, he could still be lurking around some corner somewhere. God knows she wouldn't put it past him being he was the bane of her entire existence.

"Hey beautiful."

But all thoughts of Nick were quickly forgotten as her lips curved up gently. Stephanie felt herself being spun round and she struggled to catch her breath when she was met with Paul's incredible smile. And he looked and smelled simply incredible too as his big hands leant on the arms of her chair. She thanked her lucky stars she was sitting down right now or she could have been in serious danger of just melting away to a puddle on the floor.

"So how are you? Busy I see." he said, briefly glancing at the paper currently strewn across practically every inch of her desk. She nodded as she allowed her eyes to linger on the lovely soft skin of his neck.

"Yeah well with you and Nick gone all day someone had to pick up the slack around here."

"But everything's been okay? You've not had any problems have you?"

"Not really. I just…"

She paused and sighed as her fingers reached into his hair brushing back the loose strands that fell across his face, tucking them tenderly behind his left ear.

"Well I sort of missed you today, that's all."

"What? Only sort of?" he asked as his brown eyes twinkled humorously.

"Well you did leave me here all alone to deal with everything. You really don't deserve to hear anything else."

"I don't, huh?"

"Nope."

"Well then I guess I'm going to have to find a way to make it up to you."

"I guess you are."

Stephanie's lips curved in a smile as Paul mouth brushed over hers, kissing her softly and sweetly before stepping back to take her hand and pull her to her feet. As his mouth descended on hers once more, she closed her eyes and she melted into him. Her heart was racing and her knees felt weak as he kissed her deeply. Kissing Paul was like this huge rush of amazing energy and there were even tiny lights flashing over her eyes. Did there ever come a point when she might lose all of this? Would his kiss become so familiar and so predictable that she lost the thrilling excitement of it all? God, she hoped not because this was all her wishes come true. Her fairytale ending that she used to dream of as a little girl.

As Paul's mouth moved to trail along her jaw line, Stephanie let out a sigh of contentment. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as her hand moved across his broad back and she stared out the huge glass window - the office window. Shit. They were at the office.

Her blue eyes widened in panic as she wriggled against Paul trying to get his attention as his lips nipped at her earlobe.

"Paul." she said, swallowing thickly. "We can't do this."

"Can't do what?" he murmured into her neck.

"This. We can't do this."

He lifted his head to look at her curiously. "Care to be more specific about what that is exactly?"

"PDA's, Paul. We can't have any PDA's in the workplace." she told him.

"PDA's?" he enquired as his nose wrinkled cutely.

"Public displays of affection."

"Oh."

"We need to be discreet about this."

"Discreet, huh?"

Stephanie nodded as his brown eyes narrowed in her direction.

"How discreet exactly?"

"Well for starters you can't kiss me like that."

"Like what?" he smirked.

"Like that, like you did just now! It's very…..well it's very distracting." she said, licking her wet lips.

"It is?" he smirked.

Stephanie nodded and felt her pulse jump as his mouth lowered to her ear.

"How distracting exactly?" he asked as his teeth gently grazed her lobe. She swallowed thickly feeling her desire pool in the pit of her stomach. God, he really knew which buttons to push. Her heart was pounding and her throat felt that hot and sticky way.

"Paul. We really can't do this." she protested weakly while inside her whole body was tingling with his touch. As his tongue flicked out to taste the column of her throat, her fingers reached to tangle in his hair and her eyes squeezed shut as his big hand skimmed over her breast.

"We are alone. Maybe…maybe we don't have to be that discreet." she surmised.

"I didn't think so." he chuckled.

Paul began to kiss her once more and she kissed him back hard, her tongue desperately seeking out his as she placed her hands on his chest. Her body was throbbing and she could feel the heat of his skin as she pressed firmly, pushing him in the direction the empty chair. He sat down with a thud and her mouth prickled with the loss of his kiss as she threaded her hands through his hair and straddled him in one quick movement. A slow smile traced Paul's lips and she brushed her lips over his cheek.

"Feeling frisky, McMahon?"

"Well you started this. Now I'm going to finish it." she smirked as his hand skimmed over her back, tracing delicious circles there.

"See I knew this would happen. I'd put out and then you'd start treating me like some cheap whore." smirked Paul and his smirk quickly turned to a chuckle as Stephanie felt her cheeks start to redden.

"Aw and now you're blushing."

She pressed her lips together suppressing her smile as she playfully smacked his arm. "Well it's completely your fault. You know I swear you live to embarrass me."

"Oh I live to do a lot of things to you."

His deep suggestive tone sent a dart of fire through her chest as she shifted on top of him feeling the dull ache as her need for him intensified.

"You do, huh?" she smiled. "Then maybe you should prove it. See if your actions can actually back up that mouth of yours."

"Are you challenging me, McMahon?"

"Yes. Unless of course you're not _up_ for the challenge, Levesque?" she replied cockily.

"Oh I'm up for it baby." His brown eyes penetrated through her as he took her hand placing it directly over his groin. "Can't you tell?"

Despite her forwardness, she still felt somewhat shocked and even a little shy and she quickly drew her hand away.

"Paul!"

"What?" he laughed.

"You know we should really save this for later."

She quickly rose to her feet ignoring his amusement as she tried to grab hold of her senses. Mauling Paul in the workplace was breaking a fundamental rule and certainly wasn't conducive to being discreet. Plus she wasn't about to provide a free peep show for anyone. God knows who could have walked in and seen them just now. She needed to try and keep her senses about her although this was entirely all Paul's fault. How was she supposed to keep her wits about her when he was kissing her like that? And his hands! Those hands just did things to her; things she had absolutely no control over which had been perfectly evident by their little make out session just now.

"Look, I'm sorry."

She lifted her head and saw his brown eyes sparkling as he watched her from the chair.

"I'm sorry we got carried away but you know, you were the one that started it."

She lifted her shoulder in a casual shrug, pressing her lips together and trying her best to suppress the twitch of her smile at his teasing smirk. "Yeah well now I'm finishing it. I made a promise to myself and I'm going to keep it."

"A promise, huh? What sort of promise?"

"That I wasn't going to let you down. That I was going to completely adult and responsible about this and not mix business with pleasure."

"Well that sounds a little boring."

She sniffed haughtily at his retort. "It's not boring. It's mature and professional."

She sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. As her blue eyes looked deeply into his, she hoped Paul could see the sincerity there and understand what this meant to her; what he meant to her.

"I just can't risk anything spoiling this, Paul. I have to make this work. I can't lose you."

His expression was gentle as he rose to his feet and she could feel the warmth of his fingers as they loosely gripped hold of hers.

"You're not going to lose me, Steph."

"No? You must be forgetting this is me we're talking about. I'm cursed remember? I trip over sidewalks and I blow up hair appliances. Hell, I spill coffee over people I haven't even met and I even attempted to burn down your kitchen. There's always some disaster lurking around the corner so that's why we shouldn't take any chances."

She paused and let out a shaky breath as their hands slid together, intertwining.

"We need to keep our business and personal lives separate, okay? No flaunting our relationship in front of people and maybe that way they'll leave us alone."

Paul seemed to observe her thoughtfully for a moment before he slowly nodded his head. "Okay I promise. No flaunting. But you do know if anyone asks, I'm not going to try and hide the fact that I'm with you."

She smiled gently, touched by his conviction as he brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them. "I'm not going to hide it either."

"Good. Then if we're done here, why don't I take your cursed little butt home and make you some dinner."

"Only if you promise I don't have to help."

"Steph, I think I can safely say you are banned from ever helping in my kitchen again."

"In that case, you can take me home."

She gasped as she realised what she had said and smiled awkwardly as she let go of his hands and began to gather the scattered pieces of paper on her desk.

"I mean to your home, of course. Not our home because your apartment has absolutely nothing to do with me. I mean you even bought that toothbrush that I use in your bathroom so technically that's nothing to with me either even though I know you bought it for me….."

"Steph, breathe."

She glanced up to see Paul smiling at her patiently holding out her coat for her.

"Here. Put this on or you'll catch your death out there."

His consideration made her all warm and fuzzy inside as he slipped her coat over her shoulders and she slid her arms through the sleeves. She flicked her hair over her collar and retrieved her bag, placing the straps on her left shoulder.

"You ready?"

"Ready." she nodded.

She felt Paul slip his hand into hers as he guided her through the silent office. A small smile traced her lips as she realised she could be doing this every night. Paul taking her home could be the rest of her life and she sure liked the sound of that. That's why she couldn't screw this up. She couldn't let anything get in the way of this being forever. Somehow, someway, despite her cursed little life Paul loved her unconditionally and she couldn't let that get away. In her mind, she knew he was the one. In her heart, Paul would always be forever.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

She'd once read somewhere that accidents increased during a full moon. Could blowing up your apartment really be considered an accident?

After all, it wasn't like she had meant to do it. She wasn't some lunatic who had suddenly decided to destroy her home. Although to be fair it was probably the tiniest bit of an exaggeration to say that the apartment had blown up because it hadn't exactly blown up. Not really. But in her defence the loud crack of the blue sparks had certainly sounded like some sort of terrifying explosion and small flames had flickered out from the power socket as she had choked and spluttered on the dark strange smelling smoke that billowed out around her. She could hardly breathe to the point she was physically choking and it was in that one short moment, Stephanie had been sure she was about to die.

Her life had flashed before her as she quickly squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her fingers together tightly, muttering a silent prayer to the man upstairs. And thankfully he had actually been listening to her desperate pleas because when her lids had fluttered back open, she realised she hadn't crossed over to the other side. Instead the darkness that had engulfed her was more of the electrical variety as in she didn't have any. Her power was out and her lights had stopped working. Somehow, someway, the whole apartment had completely blacked out and she had been left there standing in the darkness trying to figure out what on earth had happened.

Well at least until her neighbour had called round with his torch asking if her power had shorted. That was when she had told him all about the blue sparks and the explosion. Curious, he had asked to see the damage and she had happily led him to the bathroom. And boy had that been a huge mistake. The stupid moron honestly thought the hairdryer floating in her tub was floating there on purpose, like she'd deliberately tossed it in there just for the hell of it. Did the guy not realise she had been scared out of her mind? She had been terrified for her life when those sparks had angrily cracked at her and her immediate reaction had been to throw the smoking appliance from her hands. Did he honestly think she wanted to do that? Did he honestly think she wanted to spend the rest of the day looking like some distressed poodle? Because that what was going to happen. She was going to spend the next eight hours sitting at her desk with the hair-do from hell. God, even now she could already feel the ends starting to kink.

Stephanie grimaced as she raked her fingers through her wavy brown strands in an effort to straighten them and quickly crossed the street as a cab driver honked his horn in her direction. She gave him an absent apologetic wave as she checked her watch and muttered a curse as she saw what time it was. Shit! She was seriously late. Again! And this time she might even break her own tardiness record all thanks to her stupid hairdryer and her stupid neighbour who thought he had God given right to stand there and lecture her this morning. He hadn't even cared when she had explained she had a job to get to and a boss that no doubt was going to read her the riot act. No. Instead he had stood there until a building inspector had arrived and now she was over two hours late. So much for the new and improved and completely responsible Stephanie McMahon! Although to be fair, this wasn't entirely all her fault either. It was that stupid full moon last night. Everyone knew bad things always happened on a full moon. It had cursed her and as if her life wasn't cursed enough already!

Stephanie raced up the steps to the office building, her heels clacking on the concrete. She burst open the heavy glass doors grateful to see the foyer practically deserted. Thankfully it was Monday and Monday meant lots of people tied up in lots of meetings. What were the chances Nick would be one of them or that he would just be tied up period? The bastard was going to take immense pleasure ripping her a new one after this but not before she looked at least half respectable. She had to get to the bathrooms and do something with her hair which she swore was already creeping half way up her neck.

Slipping the strap of her leather holdall from her shoulder, Stephanie began raking through her belongings desperately trying to find the hairclip she knew was in there somewhere. Her head dropped as she scurried around the corner towards the ground floor restrooms.

"For God sakes!"

Fuck! Stephanie winced as she realised she had collided with someone and tentatively lifted her head. A vaguely familiar pair of frosty blue eyes glared back at her with a pair of arms outstretched. And at the end of one of those arms she noticed a now empty Styrofoam cup. It belonged to her, the horrible girl who was Paul's new personal assistant. Double fuck!

"You again! I don't believe this!" she hissed.

"Sorry."

Stephanie could only smile apologetically as she inwardly she cursed her luck. After all, what were the chances of this happening a second time and to the exact same person? Her eyes couldn't help but focus on the dark brown coffee stain that was now seeping into the crisp white cotton blouse, a blouse that she recalled admiring only the other day in the store. It had cost a lot of money too, more money than her meagre budget could afford at the time.

"Don't you ever look where you're going?"

Samia's sleek bob swished around her neck as she shook her head in dismay and if looks could kill, Stephanie swore she would be dead right about now. But instead of being put off by her hostility, she offered the girl another smile and decided she would be nice about this. After all, this was her fault and she would be the better person here not to mention the fact she would be completely pissed too if someone had spilled coffee all over her hundred dollar blouse.

"Look it was an accident." she explained as she began to rummage in her bag once more and her blue eyes sparkled almost triumphantly as she found the McDonalds paper napkins that she had thrown in there just the other day after her lunch with Claire. She held them out as she gestured in the direction of the rest room.

"How about we take these into the bathroom and I help you get cleaned up?"

Samia's nose instantly wrinkled in disgust as she quickly observed the napkins, stepping back abruptly almost as if their mere presence offended her.

"Just….just don't bother." she snipped back haughtily before turning round and heading to the rest rooms, her heels clacking against the marble floor angrily. The door banged loudly behind her in the silent corridor.

"Well that was plain fucking rude!" Stephanie muttered as she stared after her, amazed by the girl's blatant hostility towards her. What the hell was her problem anyway? Well besides the fact she had coffee spilled all over her. Twice.

Stephanie sighed as she spun on her heel and made her way back through the lobby and to the office. There was no chance in hell she was going into that bathroom now, bad hair or no bad hair. Who knows what would happen once she walked in there? Samia might launch a bar of soap at her or better still grab her and flush her head down the toilet. No. She'd rather put up with the kinks and look a mess for the rest of the day than face her wrath.

Lightly gripping the shiny brass banister, Stephanie began to ascend the staircase tossing the napkins back in her brown leather bag and retrieving her Fendi sunglasses. She snapped the legs open and slid them behind her ears before pushing them into her hair. As she approached the top, she peered around the wall cautiously. Thankfully no one was loitering in the corridor and Stephanie scurried into the office keeping her head low as she made her way to her cubicle. What were the chances that being inconspicuous would make her invisible? She didn't even glance in Mandy the Mouth's direction knowing her little piggy eyes would be glinting with glee at the fact she was late again. In fact she was probably scribbling it down in her notebook right this very second. _Stephanie late again _and no doubt she'd mark down the date and time, underlined of course. Anything to suck up to Nick and keep in his good books.

"Stephanie! How nice of you to finally join us this morning."

His voice startled her and she felt her heart jump in her chest as she looked up to see Nick leaning on her cubicle wall, watching her. Fuck! It looked like the bastard had even been laying in wait for her and what in God's name was he wearing? It was a sweater with bright coloured blue and yellow squares and looked suspiciously homemade. Or at least she hoped it was homemade because anyone that had paid any amount of money for that was seriously lacking something somewhere.

"Unfortunately you've missed the departmental meeting." he announced to her as his eyes peered at her over the top of his glasses.

"Sorry. Something came up. An emergency." she grimaced apologetically as she dumped her bag on the floor and tried to mentally calculate how many times she'd said the word sorry to people today already. Twenty? A hundred? She was quickly losing count.

"That's the second time this month, you know." he reminded her.

"But I…"

"Ah ah ah." interrupted Nick as he waved his finger in front of her and pushing his glasses up his nose, he began to back away from her desk. "Everyone else made the effort to be there. This office is a team Stephanie and as I'm sure you're aware, there's no "I" in team."

He smirked at her proudly and Stephanie resisted the urge to groan out load as he left. How many times had she heard one that over the years? It seemed to be the guy's personal motto along with "thy shalt wear ridiculous clothing and look completely lame." She dryly rolled her eyes as she shrugged off her coat.

"Funnily enough though there is an "I" in pri…."

"Excuse me?"

Her blue eyes instantly widened in alarm as she looked up and saw Nick peering over in her direction once more. Shit! Did she say that out loud? She hadn't meant to.

"Nothing." she said, smiling sweetly and she sat down at her desk switching on her computer and pretending to busy herself with the stack of paper currently sitting in her tray. With any luck Nick would take the hint that she had work to do and just leave her alone. Or better yet just go away permanently.

But she realised she just wasn't going to be that lucky as he wandered back in her direction, looking at her somewhat curiously.

"Hmmm. So what happened to your hair? It looks a little strange. Different." he surmised.

Bastard! Stephanie sniffed at him indignantly.

"I, uh, I just didn't have time to dry it that's all." she hastily explained knowing there was no way she could give Nick the full explanation. The guy thought she was moron as it was. She wasn't giving him any ammunition to further his belief.

"Yeah well Paul's looking for you. He's in his office."

Paul. Stephanie absently swivelled in her chair, feeling her spirits instantly lift at the mention of his name. In the chaos of her morning, she had forgotten he was here today. His plans had changed over the weekend after some conference in Washington got cancelled. Somehow just thinking of him and knowing he was in the same building made her horrible day feel so much better. He was like her good mood pill or something.

"Now Stephanie!"

She glanced up from her desk and glowered in Nick's direction. He really was an asshole. There was no need to bark instructions at her. She was going for Christ sakes.

As she pushed back her chair and smoothed down her black pencil skirt, Stephanie glanced over at him again, this time through sheer curiosity. No sarcastic comment had followed the mention of Paul's name to her which surprised her. She had been absolutely sure Nick knew about them especially after seeing them together at the hotel at New Years. Either he was being discreet or he genuinely hadn't guessed. Either way, it was all definitely a little weird. In fact not one person so far had asked her about Paul or even looked at her in a way that suggested they knew about them. Honestly, it would have been starting to bug her if she hadn't wanted to avoid being the latest office gossip. After all, gossip was one of the big three no-no's of a successful office relationship. Still, she would have thought someone would have known something by this time.

Chewing her bottom lip absently, Stephanie wandered along the corridor. She could feel the reflective heat from the bright rays of sun as it shone through the glass paned windows. It was a welcome change from the recent snow and the wind. But as she turned the corner, she felt the drop in temperature and it wasn't only due to the lack of windows in this part of the building. Samia was sitting at her desk outside Paul's office and her inquisitive glance was distinctly frosty as she approached her.

"I'm here to see Paul." Stephanie announced as she walked to the door.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No but Nick said he was looking for me."

"Then you'd better go in." Samia said, sniffing dismissively.

She turned her attention to her computer screen and Stephanie glared at her angrily as she rapped her knuckles against the wood and entered Paul's office. Who the hell did that bitch think she was sitting there guarding the door like some damn Rottweiler!

But Samia was completely forgotten as she closed the door behind her and looked at the man across the room. Sweet Jesus he was gorgeous standing there by the window and she could detect the faint trace of his cologne. It was her most favourite one and it smelled absolutely heavenly. Although maybe a little too heavenly with Miss Bitch-ho sitting just outside the door. Maybe she should persuade Paul to open a window or something. The last thing she needed was some prissy bitch being seduced by his scent.

"Hey." he smiled as he looked up and tucked his hair behind his ear. God she loved it when he did that. His brown eyes were mesmerising as they sparkled across the room in her direction.

"I would have introduced you to Samia but I believe you're both already acquainted."

The corners of Paul's mouth twitched with his amusement and Stephanie immediately guessed he knew about the coffee incident. The bitch had obviously snitched on her. Typical!

"Look, I'm sorry." she told him, sighing as she adjusted the shoulder of her black cardigan. "I never meant to spill coffee on Sammy or Samia or whatever her name is. Again! Although the way she just looked at me you think I'd did it completely on purpose. I swear to God she hates me."

"Come on. I'm sure she doesn't hate you."

Stephanie snorted in disbelief as she shifted her feet on the carpet and Paul walked round the desk to stand in front of her.

"She just doesn't know you yet or know you live a cursed little existence." he grinned.

"Paul, this isn't funny. She hates me and now she's getting me in trouble."

Her lips pressed together in a pout as she bowed her head and crossed her arms in front of her. Trust Samia to try and score points against her with the boss. It was bad enough that she'd waltzed in here in the first place and taken her job. Although technically it hadn't been her job but still, that wasn't the point here. No one liked a tattle tale. God, she'd no doubt get on great with the Mouth. She could just picture it now. The pair of them would be salivating together over every little mistake she made in the place!

"Look nobody is getting anyone into trouble because I don't want to talk to you about Samia."

Stephanie quickly glanced up at Paul in surprise. "You don't?"

"No."

"Then is it Nick because I swear I wasn't calling him a prick when I said….."

"No! Will you calm down?" said Paul, placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them gently. "I don't want to talk to you about Nick. I want to talk about you. I just got out of a meeting and found your messages on my cell."

"Oh that."

His brown eyes flickered with his worry and Stephanie shot him a somewhat embarrassed smile as she recalled her panicked cry for help. She had called Paul screaming something about full moons and the building exploding on her which in hindsight may have been the tiniest bit of an exaggeration. But in her defence, she had been in a lot of distress at the time and she had genuinely thought her apartment had blown up. It wasn't until her asshole neighbour had arrived that she had realised the truth and she had eventually called Paul back telling his voice mail the building and her were alright and still standing.

"Is everything okay? You sounded pretty upset."

Paul was watching her carefully and she nodded to reassure him, touched by his genuine concern for her.

"Yeah, it's okay. Well as okay as it can be with no power in your apartment."

"You've no power?"

Stephanie shook her head and sighed as she thought about her ordeal. How was she going to cope? Living by candlelight was far from romantic when it meant sitting in the freezing cold and worse than that, she had no television. She couldn't even occupy herself with her latest stash of magazines either and Cosmo had a great article too on charity shop designer fashion. After seeing her latest credit card bill, it was definitely something she needed to look into.

"Want me to come over and have a look at it for you? Maybe a fuse has blown or something. I'm pretty handy with fuse boxes, you know." Paul grinned.

"I'm sure you are but see, it's not just a fuse exactly." Stephanie admitted, slightly wincing.

"Then what is it?"

"Well it's more like a whole bunch of fuses."

Paul's brow furrowed cutely with his confusion and she sighed heavily, deciding to tell him the truth. Hopefully he wouldn't think she was a total moron, not like her fucking neighbour.

"God, you're going to think I'm so stupid." she began looking deeply into his eyes as his hand rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "But I want you to know it's not entirely my fault. It's that damn full moon. It and fucking Babyliss! I swear on my life they've got a conspiracy against me because their damn appliances keep blowing up on me."

"Something blew up?"

Stephanie nodded. "My hairdryer. Smoke came billowing out and these blue sparks were crackling at me."

"So the dryer blew your fuses."

Her nose crinkled with her frown. "Well no, maybe not exactly. See, I think I may have made the situation a little bit worse."

"How much worse?"

"Uh, maybe a lot worse." she said giving a little nervous giggle. "I sort of …..well I sort of threw it in the bathtub."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realised how ridiculous she had been and she wasn't surprised when Paul stared back at her, his brown eyes wide with his alarm.

"What! You threw the dryer in the tub?" he repeated in disbelief as he shook his head. "And let me guess, the tub was still full of water, right?"

Her expression was timid and apologetic as she nodded her confirmation.

"Steph!"

"I know. I know!" she replied, stepping back and throwing her hands in the air. "I'm an idiot, okay but I just didn't think. I just saw this smoke and I was scared so I threw it out of my hands. But then it hit the water and it was sparking everywhere then my lights went off….."

She stopped, pausing for breath and ducked her head as she turned towards the window. She could feel her cheeks flush with the absolute mortification she felt at her actions. God, she couldn't look at him. Paul was going to think she was such an idiot. Maybe he would even dump her after this latest escapade. He was such a sweet and sensible guy and he was probably sick and tired of her constant melodramas. Fuck knows it was always something. Why couldn't she lead a normal life like everyone else? She could bet Miss Prissy Knickers outside never had appliances blowing up in her face!

"You do know you could have been hurt? Like really hurt, Steph."

Stephanie could hear the care and concern in Paul's gentle tone and if anything it only made her feel worse. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve him.

"I know. I know and I'm sorry." she said feeling the back of her eyes burn with her frustrated tears and she blinked them away furiously. "God, I'm such a loser." she sighed as she hung her head dejectedly and wrapped her arms around herself.

"You're not a loser."

She felt Paul's presence as he stood in front of her and sniffing back her sorrow, she felt his arm slide around her waist.

"Hey, come here."

His warm embrace encompassed her, soothing her and Stephanie leant into him feeling her earlier dismay start to slip away. Just being in his arms like this made her feel so much better. Please Lord, Paul didn't dump her because she didn't know how on earth she would function without him. She would be in danger of completely falling apart.

"I'm sorry." she sighed into his chest as her fingers reached to toy with the white cotton. "I don't blame you for being angry with me. My neighbour, he's angry too the son of a bitch."

"Your neighbour? Why?"

"Never mind." Stephanie said quickly dismissing that part of the conversation. Every time she thought of that horrible man, she felt her blood boil. He had been so condescending and obnoxious and had practically humiliated her in front of the building inspector. Her fingers had been itching to slap him on more than one occasion. Maybe she could leave those honours to Paul. Let's see how condescending the almighty Mr Walker would be with a six foot four guy towering menacingly over him.

"You do know I'm not angry with you, right?"

Paul's words were soft and as Stephanie lifted her head to look up at him, she saw it matched the tender expression in his eyes.

"I was just worried about you, that's all. I care about you and I don't want anything happening to you."

As his fingers absently brushed through the ends of her hair, Stephanie couldn't help but smile knowing what he said was the truth. Paul did care about her and he had more than proved that every time she screwed up around him. She didn't know what she'd done to deserve it but what ever it was, she was extremely thankful.

"I know and I'm sorry. I really am." she told him.

"Will you stop apologising?"

He smiled, playfully tapping her nose but his expression became serious once more as he looked at her, closely observing her.

"And you're sure you're okay?" he asked.

Stephanie pressed her lips together and smiling, she nodded her head.

"Did they say how long you'd be without power?"

"They weren't sure. The guy said it would be at least a couple of days until they could assess the damage. After that, it's anyone's guess."

"And did they sort out somewhere for you to stay?"

"Not yet but I was going to talk to Claire at lunch." she informed him absently scratching at her cheek. "She's got one of those pull out sofa things in her bedroom I could sleep on and I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting me up."

"Or, you know, you could always come and stay with me." suggested Paul. "It's just an option, you know, until you get sorted."

Stephanie's blue eyes went wide as they stared back at him in total disbelief. Was he saying what she actually thought he was saying? That she could move in with him? Oh my God!

Inside her chest, Stephanie's heart was racing as her mind worked overtime trying to figure out how quickly she could pack her stuff. She honestly hadn't even considered this an option. She'd never dreamed in a million years that Paul would want her living at his place especially after she almost set his kitchen on fire. And he had been so nice about that, never once bringing it up. And it was so sweet of him to offer and really, she shouldn't be surprised. Paul had such a big heart and was such a nice guy. Although wait. Maybe that was the reason he had suggested this. Maybe he didn't want her to stay but was only offering her to stay because it was the "nice" thing to do. He was being the perfect gentleman he always was.

Stephanie bit down on her lip thoughtfully as she pondered over what to do. Inside she was dying to say yes. She had roomed with Claire before and it had been a total disaster. Plus she had her wedding coming up and she was already stressed after the botched invitations that had arrived back from the printers. The last thing she needed was the added aggravation of an unexpected lodger but still, she had to be cautious here. She couldn't do anything to screw up her relationship with Paul and that included invading a guy's space when he really didn't want it to be invaded. Not when he was probably only being polite and considerate in offering, like he felt it was expected of him.

"Thank you but I couldn't." she told him, lifting her shoulder in a shrug. "I couldn't impose on you like that."

"Steph, you're not imposing and besides, I want you to stay." he told her.

His gentle facial expression told her Paul's offer was completely genuine and Stephanie fought the urge to scream out loud by firmly pressing her lips together. The guy really was too good to be true.

"You're so sweet. I really don't deserve you." she told him as she grabbed him and hugged him gratefully. Her eyes briefly fluttered shut as his lips brushed tenderly over her forehead.

"So we'll head over to your place after work and you can get a few of your things together, okay?"

Stephanie slowly nodded her head as she looked up to smile at him.

"But can I make one tiny request?"

"Anything!" she beamed back at him knowing that even if he asked for the world, she would do everything in her power to give it to him.

"Try and pack light, huh?" Paul smirked. "I've only got so much room in the apartment, you know."

His massive shoulders shook with his own amused chuckle and Stephanie playfully swatted at him.

"Ha ha. You're very funny."

She dropped a kiss on his lips before reluctantly pulling away and making her way to the door. Although she wanted to stay here all day, unfortunately she had an advertising slogan to work on and a four o'clock deadline to meet. It was all part of this whole responsibility thing she had going on. Besides, she would plenty of time to kiss Paul after work was over and demonstrate her appreciation for his generous offer.

"I'll see you later." he said.

Yes he would see her later Stephanie thought as she walked back to her office ignoring Samia once more as she smiled to herself dreamily. He would see her later and take her home to his place, Paul's apartment where she was going to be sleeping with him every night and waking up with him every morning. And okay, it wasn't a permanent arrangement but right now she really didn't care. All she cared about that she was going to be living with him. Oh my God! She was going to be living with Paul!

And while it sounded a really scary and grown-up thing to do, it also sounded like the most wonderful thing that could happen in the world. She was going to be sharing an apartment and her life with the man she loved with all her heart. It all seemed far too good to be true but for once in her life it really wasn't. For once a bit good fortune had come her way. Maybe, just maybe that full moon wasn't such a curse after all.


End file.
